Alert archive / Maine / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Caribou, ME

August 2, 2011Aroostook County, Penobscot County, Maine

NWS Caribou, ME issued this flash flood warning at Aug 2, 2011, 9:22 AM EDT for Aroostook County, Penobscot County, Maine. It was in force for 113 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Aug 2, 2011, 9:22 AM EDT (13:22 UTC)
Expired
Aug 2, 2011, 11:15 AM EDT
In force
113 min
Issued by
NWS Caribou, ME
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Aroostook County, ME, Penobscot County, ME

The radar

The Caribou radar (KCBW), 48 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:25 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 2, 10:15 AM EDTFLASH FLOODEast Millinocket, MEMAIN STREET FLOODED AND CLOSED TO TRAFFIC FOR A TIME. A FOOT OF WATER ON MAIN STREET.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Caribou, ME (KCAR), launched 12:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 124 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, Caribou, ME at 12:00Z on 2011-08-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 222 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, Caribou, ME at 12:00Z on 2011-08-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 5 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
222 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-32 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
552 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
25 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.

782 
WGUS51 KCAR 021322
FFWCAR
MEC003-019-021515-
/O.NEW.KCAR.FF.W.0007.110802T1322Z-110802T1515Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
922 AM EDT TUE AUG 2 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CARIBOU MAINE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL PENOBSCOT COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MAINE...
  SOUTHEASTERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY IN NORTHERN MAINE...

* UNTIL 1115 AM EDT

* AT 920 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
  A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL FROM A 
  THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES EAST OF MEDWAY...OR 16 MILES EAST OF 
  MILLINOCKET...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. RADAR ESTIMATED RAINFALL 
  AMOUNTS UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. 

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO      
  MEDWAY AND MOLUNKUS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

NEVER TRY TO CROSS FLOOD WATERS IN YOUR VEHICLE OR ON FOOT. THE FLOOD
WATERS ARE USUALLY DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING
WATER IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. WHEN
ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT
DROWN!

TO REPORT FLOODING...HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY
YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.

&&

LAT...LON 4605 6819 4591 6781 4537 6849 4547 6874

$$
HEWITT
3 follow-up statements
573 
WGUS71 KCAR 021349
FFSCAR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
949 AM EDT TUE AUG 2 2011

MEC003-019-021515-
/O.CON.KCAR.FF.W.0007.000000T0000Z-110802T1515Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
AROOSTOOK ME-PENOBSCOT ME-
949 AM EDT TUE AUG 2 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1115 AM EDT FOR
CENTRAL PENOBSCOT AND SOUTHEASTERN AROOSTOOK COUNTIES...

AT 943 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A SLOW MOVING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY 
RAIN FROM MONARDA DOWN THROUGH MEDWAY. RADAR ESTIMATES ARE NOW UP TO 
3 INCHES PER HOUR ESPECIALLY JUST SOUTHEAST OF MEDWAY. MORE HEAVY 
RAINFALL OF UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE WARNED 
AREA.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO HAYNESVILLE 
MEDWAY AND MOLUNKUS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO
AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY
DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL
ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED
ROADS MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

&&

LAT...LON 4605 6819 4591 6781 4537 6849 4547 6874

$$

HEWITT
408 
WGUS71 KCAR 021506
FFSCAR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
1106 AM EDT TUE AUG 2 2011

MEC003-019-021515-
/O.CON.KCAR.FF.W.0007.000000T0000Z-110802T1515Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
AROOSTOOK ME-PENOBSCOT ME-
1106 AM EDT TUE AUG 2 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1115 AM EDT FOR
CENTRAL PENOBSCOT AND SOUTHEASTERN AROOSTOOK COUNTIES...

AT 1101 AM EDT...MODERATE RAINFALL WAS OCCURRING OVER THE WARNED 
AREA BUT BEGINNING TO SHIFT TO THE EAST. RADAR ESTIMATED UP TO ONE 
INCH PER HOUR OVER THE WARNED AREA.   

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
MEDWAY...HAYNESVILLE AND EAST MILLINOCKET. 

EAST MAIN STREET IN EAST MILLINOCKET WAS FLOODED DUE TO THE HEAVY 
RAINFALL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO
AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY
DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL
ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED
ROADS MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

&&

LAT...LON 4547 6874 4605 6819 4591 6781 4537 6849
      4543 6863

$$
HEWITT
955 
WGUS71 KCAR 021517
FFSCAR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
1117 AM EDT TUE AUG 2 2011

MEC003-019-021525-
/O.EXP.KCAR.FF.W.0007.000000T0000Z-110802T1515Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
AROOSTOOK ME-PENOBSCOT ME-
1117 AM EDT TUE AUG 2 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR CENTRAL PENOBSCOT AND
SOUTHEASTERN AROOSTOOK COUNTIES...

THE HEAVY RAINFALL HAS MOVED EAST OF THE AREA. MORE RAINFALL CAN BE 
EXPECTED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.  

LAT...LON 4547 6874 4605 6819 4591 6781 4537 6849
      4543 6863

$$

HEWITT

The office that day

Everything else NWS Caribou, ME issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 1, 8:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCARPenobscot, Piscataquis45 min
Aug 2, 10:05 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningCARPenobscot, Piscataquis2 hr
Aug 2, 12:05 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCARAroostook, Penobscot3 hr
Aug 2, 2:27 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningCARPiscataquis, Somerset4 hr
Aug 2, 4:00 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCARAroostook2 hr
Aug 2, 4:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCARAroostook25 min
Aug 2, 5:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCARHancock, Penobscot50 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Maine, 2011Every flash flood warning 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.