Alert archive / New York / Flood Watches in 2011
Flood Watch 9, NWS Buffalo, NY
NWS Buffalo, NY issued this flood watch at May 15, 2011, 4:15 AM EDT for 16 counties in New York. It took effect at May 15, 2011, 2:00 PM EDT. It was in force for 13 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 15, 2011, 4:15 AM EDT (08:15 UTC)
- In effect from
- May 15, 2011, 2:00 PM EDT
- Expired
- May 16, 2011, 3:04 AM EDT
- In force
- 13 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Buffalo, NY
- Flood severity
- None
Counties Allegany County, NY, Cattaraugus County, NY, Cayuga County, NY, Chautauqua County, NY, Erie County, NY, Genesee County, NY, Jefferson County, NY, Lewis County, NY, Livingston County, NY, Monroe County, NY, Niagara County, NY, Ontario County, NY, Orleans County, NY, Oswego County, NY, Wayne County, NY, Wyoming County, NY
The radar
The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:15 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 87 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 369 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 534 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 10 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 19 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 34 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
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
4 follow-up statements
611 WGUS61 KBUF 151135 FFABUF FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 735 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. 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. NYZ001>008-010>014-019>021-085-151945- /O.CON.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-WYOMING-LIVINGSTON-ONTARIO-CHAUTAUQUA- CATTARAUGUS-ALLEGANY-SOUTHERN ERIE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NIAGARA FALLS...MEDINA...ROCHESTER... NEWARK...FAIR HAVEN...OSWEGO...WATERTOWN...LOWVILLE...BUFFALO... BATAVIA...WARSAW...GENESEO...CANANDAIGUA...JAMESTOWN...OLEAN... WELLSVILLE...ORCHARD PARK...SPRINGVILLE 735 AM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011 ...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING... THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES 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...ALLEGANY... CATTARAUGUS...CHAUTAUQUA...GENESEE...LIVINGSTON...MONROE... NIAGARA...NORTHERN ERIE...ONTARIO...ORLEANS...SOUTHERN ERIE... WAYNE AND WYOMING. * 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
443 WGUS61 KBUF 151924 FFABUF FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 324 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011 ...ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT RAIN EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT... .A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE MID ATLANTIC STATES WILL CONTINUE TO FUNNEL MOISTURE ALONG A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES RESULTING IN CONTINUED RAINFALL ACROSS WESTERN NEW YORK TONIGHT. 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. NYZ001>008-010>014-019>021-085-160430- /O.CON.KBUF.FA.A.0009.000000T0000Z-110516T1500Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ NIAGARA-ORLEANS-MONROE-WAYNE-NORTHERN CAYUGA-OSWEGO-JEFFERSON- LEWIS-NORTHERN ERIE-GENESEE-WYOMING-LIVINGSTON-ONTARIO-CHAUTAUQUA- CATTARAUGUS-ALLEGANY-SOUTHERN ERIE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NIAGARA FALLS...MEDINA...ROCHESTER... NEWARK...FAIR HAVEN...OSWEGO...WATERTOWN...LOWVILLE...BUFFALO... BATAVIA...WARSAW...GENESEO...CANANDAIGUA...JAMESTOWN...OLEAN... WELLSVILLE...ORCHARD PARK...SPRINGVILLE 324 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011 ...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING... THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES 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...ALLEGANY... CATTARAUGUS...CHAUTAUQUA...GENESEE...LIVINGSTON...MONROE... NIAGARA...NORTHERN ERIE...ONTARIO...ORLEANS...SOUTHERN ERIE... WAYNE AND WYOMING. * THROUGH MONDAY MORNING * WIDESPREAD RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO FALL TONIGHT ON ALREADY SATURATED SURFACES WITH AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS RUNNING HIGH. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE 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 && $$
752 WGUS61 KBUF 160159 FFABUF FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 959 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011 ...RAIN ENDING OVERNIGHT WITH SOME CREEKS TO RISE NEAR FLOOD STAGE... .RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT NORTHWARD OVERNIGHT AS BROAD LOW PRESSURE NUDGES NORTHWARD FROM THE MID ATLANTIC STATES. THIS WILL CAUSE THE STEADY RAINFALL TO END. ALTHOUGH RAIN WILL TAPER OFF...SOME CREEKS WILL RISE OVERNIGHT...WITH SOME POTENTIALLY REACHING FLOOD STAGE. WATER PONDING IN LOW-LYING SHOULD GRADUALLY START TO RECEDE...THOUGH THIS MAY BE A SLOW PROCESS WITH THE GROUND SATURATED. NYZ013-014-019>021-160300- /O.CAN.KBUF.FA.A.0009.000000T0000Z-110516T1500Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ LIVINGSTON-ONTARIO-CHAUTAUQUA-CATTARAUGUS-ALLEGANY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GENESEO...CANANDAIGUA...JAMESTOWN... OLEAN...WELLSVILLE 959 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011 ...FLOOD WATCH IS CANCELLED... THE FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF WESTERN NEW YORK HAS BEEN CANCELLED. RAIN HAS ENDED ACROSS WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN TIER AND THE FINGER LAKES REGION. SOME CREEKS MAY CONTINUE TO RUN HIGH OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER NO ADDITIONAL FLOODING IS EXPECTED. $$ NYZ001>008-010>012-085-161000- /O.CON.KBUF.FA.A.0009.000000T0000Z-110516T1500Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ NIAGARA-ORLEANS-MONROE-WAYNE-NORTHERN CAYUGA-OSWEGO-JEFFERSON- LEWIS-NORTHERN ERIE-GENESEE-WYOMING-SOUTHERN ERIE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NIAGARA FALLS...MEDINA...ROCHESTER... NEWARK...FAIR HAVEN...OSWEGO...WATERTOWN...LOWVILLE...BUFFALO... BATAVIA...WARSAW...ORCHARD PARK...SPRINGVILLE 959 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 2011 ...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING... THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR * PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEW YORK...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...IN CENTRAL NEW YORK...JEFFERSON...LEWIS... NORTHERN CAYUGA AND OSWEGO. IN WESTERN NEW YORK...GENESEE... MONROE...NIAGARA...ERIE...ORLEANS...WAYNE AND WYOMING. * THROUGH MONDAY MORNING * SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL HAS ENDED IN WESTERN NEW YORK...WITH ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN A QUARTER INCH. HOWEVER...SOME CREEKS WILL CONTINUE TO RISE OVERNIGHT...WITH SEVERAL EXPECTED TO CREST NEAR FLOOD STAGE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER RADIO AND TV STATIONS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES && $$ APFFEL
077 WGUS61 KBUF 160704 FFABUF FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 304 AM EDT MON MAY 16 2011 NYZ001>008-010>012-085-160815- /O.CAN.KBUF.FA.A.0009.000000T0000Z-110516T1500Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ NIAGARA-ORLEANS-MONROE-WAYNE-NORTHERN CAYUGA-OSWEGO-JEFFERSON- LEWIS-NORTHERN ERIE-GENESEE-WYOMING-SOUTHERN ERIE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NIAGARA FALLS...MEDINA...ROCHESTER... NEWARK...FAIR HAVEN...OSWEGO...WATERTOWN...LOWVILLE...BUFFALO... BATAVIA...WARSAW...ORCHARD PARK...SPRINGVILLE 304 AM EDT MON MAY 16 2011 ...FLOOD WATCH IS CANCELLED... THE FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEW YORK HAS BEEN CANCELLED. WHILE ADDITIONAL SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW YORK TODAY AND TONIGHT...RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT AND SHOULD NOT FURTHER AGGRAVATE THE HIGH WATER LEVELS IN AREA TRIBUTARIES. RAINFALL ACROSS THE REGION FROM SUNDAY AND SUNDAY EVENING AVERAGED AN INCH TO AN INCH AND A HALF...AND THIS FELL ON SURFACES THAT HAD BECOME SATURATED FROM SIGNIFICANT RAINS ON SATURDAY. THIS RAISED MANY TRIBUTARIES TO NEAR BANKFULL. WATER LEVELS HAVE SINCE CRESTED AND ARE SLOWLY RECEDING ON THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TRIBUTARIES THROUGHOUT THE REGION. THE EXCEPTION IS BLACK CREEK IN THE GENESEE VALLEY. THIS CREEK WAS AT FLOOD STAGE AT 3 AM...BUT SHOULD BEGIN TO FALL LATER THIS MORNING. $$ RSH
The office that day
Everything else NWS Buffalo, NY issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 14, 10:06 PM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | BUF | Genesee, Monroe, Orleans | 3 hr |
| May 14, 10:13 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | BUF | Erie | 47 min |
| May 14, 10:58 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | BUF | Erie | 62 min |
| May 14, 11:38 PM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | BUF | Erie, Niagara | 3 hr |
| May 15, 1:01 AM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | BUF | Genesee, Monroe, Orleans | 3 hr |
| May 15, 12:47 PM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | BUF | Chautauqua | 3 hr |
| May 15, 4:05 PM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | BUF | Allegany | 4 hr |
Nearby
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.