Alert archive / Michigan / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

May 11, 2011Mason County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this flash flood warning at May 11, 2011, 10:49 PM EDT for Mason County, Michigan. It was in force for 6 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 11, 2011, 10:49 PM EDT (02:49 UTC)
Expired
May 12, 2011, 5:00 AM EDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Mason County, MI

The radar

The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 143 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:50 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

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 148 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 2011-05-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 4 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 2011-05-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 159 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
4 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-277 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
759 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
159 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
181 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

910 
WGUS53 KGRR 120249
FFWGRR
MIC105-120900-
/O.NEW.KGRR.FF.W.0003.110512T0249Z-110512T0900Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1049 PM EDT WED MAY 11 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  MASON COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN...

* UNTIL 500 AM EDT THURSDAY

* AT 1046 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE
  WARNED AREA. RAINFALL ESTIMATES OF OVER AN INCH AND HALF HAS       
  OCCURRED   WITHIN THE PAST HOUR JUST NORTH OF LUDINGTON.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  LUDINGTON...FREESOIL...MILLERTON...TALLMAN AND WILEY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. DO
NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO
ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN
WATER BEGINS RISING.

&&

LAT...LON 4417 8604 4382 8604 4382 8643 4389 8645
      4397 8646 4404 8652 4406 8652 4408 8650
      4412 8643 4418 8639 4418 8637

$$

JK
2 follow-up statements
822 
WGUS73 KGRR 120507
FFSGRR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
107 AM EDT THU MAY 12 2011

MIC105-120900-
/O.CON.KGRR.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-110512T0900Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MASON MI-
107 AM EDT THU MAY 12 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MASON COUNTY UNTIL 500
AM EDT...

AT 1253 AM EDT...THE HEAVY RAINFALL HAD ENDED ON ONLY LIGHT RAIN 
CONTINUED TO FALL.  GIVEN RADAR ESTIMATED RAINFALL FROM THIS 
EVENING'S THUNDERSTORM RAINFALL EXCEEDED 5 INCHES OVER THE NORTHEAST 
SECTIONS OF THE COUNTY AND IT CURRENTLY NIGHTTIME...MEANING IT IS 
HARD TO GET REPORTS OF FLOOD DAMAGE FROM REMOTE AREA... THE WARNING 
WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 5 AM. 

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
LUDINGTON...FREESOIL...MILLERTON...TALLMAN AND WILEY.

LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED AROUND 1030 PM THIS EVENING 
EAST OF SCOTTVILLE WATER WAS REPORTED TO BE OVER THE ROAD. ALSO 
AROUND THE SAME TIME THERE WATER WAS REPORTED OVER SOME ROADS IN 
DOWN TOWN LUDINGTON. THIS RAINFALL WAS FROM HEAVY RAINFALL DUE TO 
THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. RAINFALL REPORT OF AROUND ONE AND A HALF 
INCHES WERE RECEIVED FROM LUDINGTON. THE RADAR ESTIMATED RAINFALL 
AMOUNTS OF OVER 5 INCHES IN EXTREME NORTHEAST SECTIONS OF THE 
COUNTY. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY. DO NOT
ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND. DO NOT
STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

&&

LAT...LON 4417 8604 4382 8604 4382 8643 4389 8645
      4397 8646 4404 8652 4406 8652 4408 8650
      4412 8643 4418 8639 4418 8637

$$

WDM
728 
WGUS73 KGRR 120855
FFSGRR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
455 AM EDT THU MAY 12 2011

MIC105-120906-
/O.EXP.KGRR.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-110512T0900Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MASON MI-
455 AM EDT THU MAY 12 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR MASON COUNTY WILL
BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 500 AM EDT...

EXCESS RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES BUT NO SIGNIFICANT ISSUES 
WERE REPORTED.  THE WARNING IS BEING DOWNGRADED TO AN ADVISORY. NO 
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL IS FORECASTED FOR THIS MORNING.  
ADDITIONAL STORMS WITH SOME HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER TODAY 
AND TONIGHT.

IF FLOODING HAS BEEN OBSERVED...PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW 
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

LAT...LON 4417 8604 4382 8604 4382 8643 4389 8645
      4397 8646 4404 8652 4406 8652 4408 8650
      4412 8643 4418 8639 4418 8637

$$

MJS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 11, 8:14 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRLake, Mason, Osceola61 min
May 11, 8:46 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRVan Buren44 min
May 11, 9:01 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGRRLake, Mason, Osceola14 hr
May 11, 9:21 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRClare, Osceola84 min
May 11, 9:30 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRAllegan, Barry, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lake and 5 more90 min
May 11, 9:44 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningGRR91 min
May 11, 10:08 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningGRR52 min
May 11, 10:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRROttawa47 min
May 11, 10:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRAllegan39 min
May 11, 10:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRBarry, Kent57 min
May 11, 10:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRBarry, Calhoun, Kalamazoo71 min
May 11, 11:13 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRBarry, Calhoun, Clare, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot and 9 more92 min
May 11, 11:14 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningGRR57 min
May 12, 12:23 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRIngham, Jackson67 min
May 12, 3:59 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRKent61 min
May 12, 4:01 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRBarry59 min
May 12, 4:39 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRBarry45 min
May 12, 5:09 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRKent66 min
May 12, 5:33 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRKent57 min
May 12, 5:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRAllegan33 min
May 12, 6:13 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRKent62 min
May 12, 6:16 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRBarry59 min
May 12, 6:25 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGRRAllegan, Barry3 hr
May 12, 7:27 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRBarry, Eaton63 min
May 12, 7:54 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRREaton51 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Michigan, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.