Alert archive / Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 18, NWS Charleston, WV

May 24, 2011Buchanan County, Dickenson County, Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at May 24, 2011, 4:25 PM EDT for Buchanan County, Dickenson County, Virginia. It was in force for 3 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 24, 2011, 4:25 PM EDT (20:25 UTC)
Expired: May 24, 2011, 7:30 PM EDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Charleston, WV
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Buchanan County, VA, Dickenson County, VA

The radar

The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 119 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:26 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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 228 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 451 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -124 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1350 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 4 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 99 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

296 
WGUS51 KRLX 242025
FFWRLX
VAC027-051-242330-
/O.NEW.KRLX.FF.W.0018.110524T2025Z-110524T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
425 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN BUCHANAN COUNTY IN VIRGINIA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF DAVENPORT...
  SOUTHERN DICKENSON COUNTY IN VIRGINIA...

* UNTIL 730 PM EDT

* AT 420 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM THUNDERSTORMS REPEATEDLY MOVING OVER THE      
  WARNED AREA. RADAR ESTIMATES UP TO 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN HAS          
  FALLEN OVER THE PAST HOUR.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO OAKWOOD AND
  VANSANT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

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.

IN HILLY TERRAIN THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS WHICH ARE
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN HEAVY RAIN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL ACROSS
FLOODED ROADS. FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES. IT TAKES ONLY A FEW INCHES OF
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

&&

PLEASE REPORT HIGH WATER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING
TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 3702 8247 3707 8251 3710 8249 3731 8187
      3728 8183 3728 8176 3723 8173 3720 8176
      3717 8186 3713 8192 3712 8200 3704 8204
      3703 8218 3699 8224 3699 8229 3695 8235

$$

30

2 follow-up statements

583 
WGUS71 KRLX 242150
FFSRLX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
550 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 2011

VAC027-051-242330-
/O.CON.KRLX.FF.W.0018.000000T0000Z-110524T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DICKENSON VA-BUCHANAN VA-
550 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHERN BUCHANAN AND SOUTHERN DICKENSON COUNTIES...

AT 543 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
RAIN...OCCASIONALLY MODERATE...FALLING OVER THE WARNED AREA. RADAR 
ESTIMATES OF 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS. 
ADDITIONAL RAIN OF UP TO HALF AN INCH CAN BE EXPECTED. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO OAKWOOD AND
VANSANT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

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.

TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR CAR ON FLOODED ROADWAYS.

PLEASE REPORT HIGH WATER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING
TOLL FREE 877-633-6772 WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3702 8247 3707 8251 3710 8249 3731 8187
      3728 8183 3728 8176 3723 8173 3720 8176
      3717 8186 3713 8192 3712 8200 3704 8204
      3703 8218 3699 8224 3699 8229 3695 8235

$$

30

036 
WGUS71 KRLX 242323
FFSRLX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
723 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 2011

VAC027-051-242333-
/O.EXP.KRLX.FF.W.0018.000000T0000Z-110524T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DICKENSON VA-BUCHANAN VA-
723 PM EDT TUE MAY 24 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 730 PM EDT FOR SOUTHERN
BUCHANAN AND SOUTHERN DICKENSON COUNTIES...

HEAVY RAIN IS NO LONGER ANTICIPATED...THEREFORE THE FLASH FLOOD
WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. STREAMS AND
CREEKS HAVE BEGUN TO RECEDE AND NO LONGER POSE A FLASH FLOOD THREAT.

TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR CAR ON FLOODED ROADWAYS.

PLEASE REPORT HIGH WATER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING
TOLL FREE 877-633-6772 WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 3702 8247 3707 8251 3710 8249 3731 8187
      3728 8183 3728 8176 3723 8173 3720 8176
      3717 8186 3713 8192 3712 8200 3704 8204
      3703 8218 3699 8224 3699 8229 3695 8235

$$

30

The office that day

Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 24, 8:20 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Buchanan	25 min
May 24, 9:00 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Buchanan	30 min
May 24, 9:28 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Buchanan	32 min
May 24, 9:40 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Buchanan, Dickenson	50 min
May 24, 1:54 PM EDT	Flash Flood Watch	RLX	Buchanan, Dickenson	6 hr
May 24, 3:15 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Buchanan, Dickenson	75 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Virginia, 2011 Every 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.