Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 44, NWS Tucson, AZ

August 16, 2011Pima County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 16, 2011, 4:28 PM MST for Pima County, Arizona. It was in force for 92 min. 2 reports 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 16, 2011, 4:28 PM MST (23:28 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 2011, 6:00 PM MST
In force
92 min
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Pima County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:31 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 16, 4:50 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD6 Ese Marana, AZWATER FLOWING ACROSS HARTMANN ROAD NORTH OF CORTARO ROAD.
Aug 16, 4:50 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD7 Sw Oro Valley, AZWATER OVER INTERSECTION AT CORTARO FARMS RD AND OLDFATHER RD.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 26 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 2011-08-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 269 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 2011-08-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -14 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
269 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-51 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1299 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
5 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
77 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.

233 
WGUS55 KTWC 162328
FFWTWC
AZC019-170100-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0044.110816T2328Z-110817T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
428 PM MST TUE AUG 16 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN PIMA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 600 PM MST

* AT 417 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  FLASH FLOODING FROM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER OVER THE NORTHWEST  
  GREATER TUCSON AREA...ESPECIALLY AROUND INTERSTATE 10 EAST TO      
  CAMINO DEL LA TIERRA ROAD AND NORTH TO TANGERINE ROAD. MOVEMENT OF 
  THE STORM WAS WEST AT 5 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 3226 11110 3238 11125 3240 11115 3239 11101
      3227 11101

$$
3 follow-up statements
620 
WGUS75 KTWC 162340
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
440 PM MST TUE AUG 16 2011

AZC019-170100-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0044.000000T0000Z-110817T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PIMA AZ-
440 PM MST TUE AUG 16 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM MST FOR
NORTHEASTERN PIMA COUNTY...

AT 433 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING OVER 
PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST GREATER TUCSON AREA. AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGE 
AT THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER AND INA ROAD REPORTED .91 OF AN INCH OF RAIN 
IN LESS THAN 1 HOUR. RADAR INDICATED THAT THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL HAD 
BEEN ACROSS PARTS OF MARANA NEAR CORTARO ROAD AND WESTERN SECTIONS 
OF THE CASA ADOBES AREA. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

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 3226 11110 3238 11125 3240 11115 3239 11101
      3227 11101

$$
839 
WGUS75 KTWC 170015
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
515 PM MST TUE AUG 16 2011

AZC019-170100-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0044.000000T0000Z-110817T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PIMA AZ-
515 PM MST TUE AUG 16 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM MST FOR
NORTHEASTERN PIMA COUNTY...

A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED FLASH FLOODING ACROSS PARTS OF THE NORTHWEST 
SIDE OF TUCSON AROUND MARANA AND THE CASA ADOBES AREA...ESPECIALLY 
ALONG INTERSTATE 10 NEAR CORTARO FARMS ROAD AND INA ROAD. THIS STORM 
HAS SINCE MOVED WEST OF THE AREA...BUT WATER CONTINUED TO FLOW AT 
ELEVATED LEVELS IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND SMALL STREAMS. 
THEREFORE...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 
PM MST SINCE RUNOFF CONTINUED ACROSS THE AREA. 

HERE ARE A FEW REPORTS OF RAINFALL MEASURED BY PIMA COUNTY FLOOD 
CONTROL AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGES IN THE PAST 6 HOURS...

CANADA DEL ORO AT GOLDER RA          0.59
SANTA CRUZ RIVER AT INA RD           1.18
CANADA DEL ORO WASH AT INA           0.51

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

&&

LAT...LON 3226 11110 3238 11125 3240 11115 3239 11101
      3227 11101

$$
241 
WGUS75 KTWC 170052
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
552 PM MST TUE AUG 16 2011

AZC019-170101-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0044.000000T0000Z-110817T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PIMA AZ-
552 PM MST TUE AUG 16 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 600 PM MST FOR NORTHEASTERN
PIMA COUNTY...

ELEVATED FLOWS IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES CONTINUED TO SUBSIDE SO THE 
WARNING WILL EXPIRE ON TIME AT 600 PM MST. 

LAT...LON 3226 11110 3238 11125 3240 11115 3239 11101
      3227 11101

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tucson, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 15, 9:39 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPima36 min
Aug 15, 9:56 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima2 hr
Aug 15, 9:59 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima46 min
Aug 15, 10:42 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima48 min
Aug 15, 11:28 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima62 min
Aug 15, 11:39 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima81 min
Aug 16, 3:11 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima, Santa Cruz2 hr
Aug 16, 3:53 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima82 min
Aug 16, 4:14 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima46 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 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.