Alert archive / New York / Flash Flood Watches in 2011

Flash Flood Watch 2, NWS Buffalo, NY

May 14, 20115 counties in New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this flash flood watch at May 14, 2011, 4:17 AM EDT for 5 counties in New York. It took effect at May 14, 2011, 12:00 PM EDT. It was in force for 16 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 14, 2011, 4:17 AM EDT (08:17 UTC)
In effect from
May 14, 2011, 12:00 PM EDT
Expired
May 15, 2011, 4:00 AM EDT
In force
16 hr
Issued by
NWS Buffalo, NY
Flood severity
None

Counties Allegany County, NY, Cattaraugus County, NY, Chautauqua County, NY, Erie County, NY, Wyoming County, NY

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:20 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 00:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 53 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 00:00Z on 2011-05-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 161 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 00:00Z on 2011-05-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 4 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
161 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-80 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
978 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
4 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

116 
WGUS61 KBUF 140817
FFABUF

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
417 AM EDT SAT MAY 14 2011

...SLOW MOVING DOWNPOURS COULD IMPACT THE WESTERN SOUTHERN TIER...

.THUNDERSTORMS ARE ONCE AGAIN FORECAST TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE
WESTERN SOUTHERN TIER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND GIVEN THE
LIGHT WINDS AND MOISTURE RICH AIRMASS...THIS COULD LEAD TO ANOTHER
ROUND OF SLOW MOVING DOWNPOURS.

SLOW MOVING STORMS ALREADY PRODUCED WIDESPREAD HALF TO ONE INCH
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER THIS SAME AREA LATE FRIDAY...WITH SOME SITES
PICKING UP IN EXCESS OF 3 INCHES. BECAUSE OF THIS HEAVY RAINFALL
FROM FRIDAY...THE SOUTHERN TIER HAS A HEIGHTENED POTENTIAL FOR
MORE FLOOD PROBLEMS FROM ADDITIONAL CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON.

NYZ012-019>021-085-141630-
/O.NEW.KBUF.FF.A.0002.110514T1600Z-110515T0400Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WYOMING-CHAUTAUQUA-CATTARAUGUS-ALLEGANY-SOUTHERN ERIE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WARSAW...JAMESTOWN...OLEAN...
WELLSVILLE...ORCHARD PARK...SPRINGVILLE
417 AM EDT SAT MAY 14 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM NOON EDT TODAY THROUGH THIS
EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF WESTERN NEW YORK...
 INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...ALLEGANY...CATTARAUGUS...
 CHAUTAUQUA...SOUTHERN ERIE AND WYOMING.

* FROM NOON EDT TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING

* SLOW MOVING DOWNPOURS ARE ONCE AGAIN EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND
  EVENING. ANY THUNDERSTORM WILL THUS HAVE A HEIGHTENED CHANCE OF
  PRODUCING RAIN IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING EXISTS
ALONG RIVERS AND CREEKS. IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA YOU SHOULD
MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS CLOSELY. BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER
GROUND IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED
TO WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER RADIO AND TV STATIONS FOR FURTHER
UPDATES.

&&

$$

RSH
3 follow-up statements
917 
WGUS61 KBUF 142224
FFABUF

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
624 PM EDT SAT MAY 14 2011

...SLOW MOVING DOWNPOURS COULD IMPACT THE WESTERN SOUTHERN TIER...

.SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN MOVE ACROSS WESTERN
PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN TIER THROUGH THIS EVENING. GIVEN THE
LIGHT WINDS AND MOISTURE RICH AIRMASS...THIS COULD LEAD TO ANOTHER
ROUND OF SLOW MOVING DOWNPOURS.

SLOW MOVING STORMS ALREADY PRODUCED WIDESPREAD HALF TO ONE INCH
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER THIS SAME AREA LATE FRIDAY...WITH SOME
SITES PICKING UP IN EXCESS OF 3 INCHES. BECAUSE OF THIS HEAVY
RAINFALL FROM FRIDAY...THE SOUTHERN TIER HAS A HEIGHTENED
POTENTIAL FOR MORE FLOOD PROBLEMS FROM ADDITIONAL CONVECTION THIS
AFTERNOON.

NYZ012-019>021-085-150400-
/O.CON.KBUF.FF.A.0002.000000T0000Z-110515T0400Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WYOMING-CHAUTAUQUA-CATTARAUGUS-ALLEGANY-SOUTHERN ERIE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WARSAW...JAMESTOWN...OLEAN...
WELLSVILLE...ORCHARD PARK...SPRINGVILLE
624 PM EDT SAT MAY 14 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT
TONIGHT...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* A PORTION OF WESTERN NEW YORK...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING 
  COUNTIES...ALLEGANY...CATTARAUGUS...CHAUTAUQUA...SOUTHERN ERIE 
  AND WYOMING.

* UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT

* SLOW MOVING DOWNPOURS ARE ONCE AGAIN EXPECTED THROUGH THIS
  EVENING. STRONGER STORMS WILL HAVE A HEIGHTENED CHANCE OF
  PRODUCING RAIN IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING EXISTS
ALONG RIVERS AND CREEKS. IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA YOU SHOULD
MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS CLOSELY. BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER
GROUND IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED
TO WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER RADIO AND TV STATIONS FOR FURTHER
UPDATES.

&&

$$

APFFEL
392 
WGUS61 KBUF 150230
FFABUF

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
1030 PM EDT SAT MAY 14 2011

...SLOW MOVING DOWNPOURS COULD IMPACT THE WESTERN SOUTHERN TIER...

.SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING FROM WESTERN OHIO WILL
ENTER THE SOUTHERN TIER LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE EARLY MORNING
HOURS. WHILE SOME WEAKENING IS LIKELY OVERNIGHT...THESE STORMS
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY RAIN TO WESTERN
PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN TIER THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

NYZ012-019>021-085-150800-
/O.EXT.KBUF.FF.A.0002.000000T0000Z-110515T0800Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WYOMING-CHAUTAUQUA-CATTARAUGUS-ALLEGANY-SOUTHERN ERIE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WARSAW...JAMESTOWN...OLEAN...
WELLSVILLE...ORCHARD PARK...SPRINGVILLE
1030 PM EDT SAT MAY 14 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EDT SUNDAY...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR

* A PORTION OF WESTERN NEW YORK...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING 
  COUNTIES...ALLEGANY...CATTARAUGUS...CHAUTAUQUA...SOUTHERN ERIE 
  AND WYOMING.

* UNTIL 4 AM EDT SUNDAY

* SLOW MOVING SHOWERS MAY BRING HEAVY DOWNPOURS THROUGH EARLY
  SUNDAY MORNING. STRONGER STORMS WILL HAVE A HEIGHTENED CHANCE OF
  PRODUCING RAIN IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING EXISTS
ALONG RIVERS AND CREEKS. IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA YOU SHOULD
MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS CLOSELY. BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER
GROUND IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED
TO WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER RADIO AND TV STATIONS FOR FURTHER
UPDATES.

&&

$$

APFFEL
586 
WGUS61 KBUF 150815
FFABUF

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
415 AM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011

...ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT RAIN EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT...

.LOW PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA WILL COMBINE WITH A
FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT WILL SAG SOUTH ACROSS NEW YORK STATE TO
PRODUCE ANOTHER ROUND OF SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL THROUGH TONIGHT.
WHILE THE HIGHEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD BE FOUND ALONG AND NORTH
OF A LINE FROM BUFFALO TO SYRACUSE...MOST OF THE REGION CAN
EXPECT AT LEAST AN INCH OF RAIN THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

THIS RAINFALL...COMBINED WITH A SATURATED SURFACE FROM RECENT
HEAVY RAINS...WILL PRODUCE HEIGHTENED FLOOD CONCERNS. MANY AREAS
CREEKS AND STREAMS ARE ALREADY RUNNING HIGH AND WILL NOT TAKE MUCH
MORE RAIN TO OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS.

NYZ012-019>021-085-151615-
/O.EXP.KBUF.FF.A.0002.000000T0000Z-110515T0800Z/
/O.NEW.KBUF.FA.A.0009.110515T1800Z-110516T1500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WYOMING-CHAUTAUQUA-CATTARAUGUS-ALLEGANY-SOUTHERN ERIE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WARSAW...JAMESTOWN...OLEAN...
WELLSVILLE...ORCHARD PARK...SPRINGVILLE
415 AM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY MORNING...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS EXPIRED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF WESTERN NEW YORK...INCLUDING THE 
 FOLLOWING COUNTIES...ALLEGANY...CATTARAUGUS...CHAUTAUQUA...
 SOUTHERN ERIE AND WYOMING.

* FROM 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING

* WIDESPREAD RAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WILL FALL ON ALREADY
  SATURATED SURFACES WITH AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS RUNNING HIGH.
  RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AN INCH TO AN INCH AND A HALF ARE EXPECTED
  TODAY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE
ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO
FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING
DEVELOP. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER RADIO AND TV
STATIONS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES

&&

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WESTERN SOUTHERN TIER HAS EXPIRED.
WHILE ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL FALL TODAY AND TONIGHT...SLOW MOVING
DOWNPOURS FROM HEAVY CONVECTION ARE NO LONGER EXPECTED.

$$

NYZ001>008-010-011-013-014-151615-
/O.NEW.KBUF.FA.A.0009.110515T1800Z-110516T1500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
NIAGARA-ORLEANS-MONROE-WAYNE-NORTHERN CAYUGA-OSWEGO-JEFFERSON-
LEWIS-NORTHERN ERIE-GENESEE-LIVINGSTON-ONTARIO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NIAGARA FALLS...MEDINA...ROCHESTER...
NEWARK...FAIR HAVEN...OSWEGO...WATERTOWN...LOWVILLE...BUFFALO...
BATAVIA...GENESEO...CANANDAIGUA
415 AM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEW YORK...
 INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...IN CENTRAL NEW YORK...
 JEFFERSON...LEWIS...NORTHERN CAYUGA AND OSWEGO. IN WESTERN NEW 
 YORK...GENESEE...LIVINGSTON...MONROE...NIAGARA...NORTHERN 
 ERIE...ONTARIO...ORLEANS AND WAYNE.

* FROM 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING

* WIDESPREAD RAIN TODAY AND TONIGHT WILL FALL ON ALREADY SATURATED
  SURFACES WITH AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS RUNNING HIGH. RAINFALL
  AMOUNTS OF AN INCH TO AN INCH AND A HALF ARE EXPECTED TODAY
  THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE
ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO
FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING
DEVELOP. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER RADIO AND TV
STATIONS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES

&&

$$

RSH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Buffalo, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 13, 8:33 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningBUFCattaraugus, Wyoming3 hr
May 13, 9:12 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningBUFAllegany6 hr
May 14, 3:53 PM EDTSmall Craft AdvisoryBUF4 days
May 14, 4:35 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFCattaraugus85 min
May 14, 5:57 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFCattaraugus63 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Watches in New York, 2011Every flash flood watch in 2011

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.