Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 47, NWS Tucson, AZ

August 17, 2011Cochise County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 17, 2011, 5:15 PM MST for Cochise County, Arizona. It was in force for 90 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 17, 2011, 5:15 PM MST (00:15 UTC)
Expired
Aug 17, 2011, 6:45 PM MST
In force
90 min
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Cochise County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 32 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:17 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 17, 5:25 PM MSTFLASH FLOODBenson, AZSPOTTER REPORTED THAT A 6 TO 7 FOOT DEEP WASH WAS FULL AND BEGINNING TO FLOW OVER THE ROAD IN FRONT OF HIS RESIDENCE.

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 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 57 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 00:00Z on 2011-08-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 251 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 00:00Z on 2011-08-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 8 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
251 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-23 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2476 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
30 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.

968 
WGUS55 KTWC 180015
FFWTWC
AZC003-180145-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0047.110818T0015Z-110818T0145Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
515 PM MST WED AUG 17 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL COCHISE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 645 PM MST

* AT 507 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OVER WEST CENTRAL 
  COCHISE COUNTY...OVER THE CITY OF BENSON. THIS STORM HAS SHOWN
  VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BENSON

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF WASHES
AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES AS
WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

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 3209 11043 3213 11018 3190 11013 3184 11044

$$
ZELL
2 follow-up statements
153 
WGUS75 KTWC 180049
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
549 PM MST WED AUG 17 2011

AZC003-180145-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0047.000000T0000Z-110818T0145Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
549 PM MST WED AUG 17 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM MST FOR WEST
CENTRAL COCHISE COUNTY...

AT 545 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN WEST 
CENTRAL COCHISE COUNTY...FROM THE BENSON AREA...WEST ALONG 
INTERSTATE 10...TO THE PIMA COUNTY LINE. RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES 
INDICATE THAT BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES OF RAINFALL HAS FALLEN IN 
THIS AREA. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO MESCAL.

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.

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR
IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES...
DIPS...OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...
EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER
GROUND.

&&

LAT...LON 3209 11043 3213 11018 3190 11013 3184 11044

$$
ZELL
688 
WGUS75 KTWC 180144
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
644 PM MST WED AUG 17 2011

AZC003-180153-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0047.000000T0000Z-110818T0145Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
644 PM MST WED AUG 17 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 645 PM MST FOR WEST CENTRAL
COCHISE COUNTY...

AT 642 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THAT ONLY 
LIGHT SHOWERS REMAINED OVER THE WARNING AREA IN THE WEST CENTRAL 
COCHISE COUNTY. THEREFORE...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED 
TO EXPIRE.   


LAT...LON 3209 11043 3213 11018 3190 11013 3184 11044

$$
ZELL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 17, 5:28 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise32 min
Aug 18, 11:27 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise78 min
Aug 18, 12:34 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCGraham41 min
Aug 18, 12:44 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPinal46 min
Aug 18, 1:03 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPinal42 min
Aug 18, 1:31 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise, Pima44 min
Aug 18, 1:34 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCSanta Cruz26 min
Aug 18, 2:03 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCSanta Cruz27 min
Aug 18, 2:14 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise46 min
Aug 18, 2:15 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise, Graham45 min
Aug 18, 2:21 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima39 min
Aug 18, 3:18 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPinal3 hr
Aug 18, 3:19 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima, Santa Cruz116 min
Aug 18, 3:29 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima2 hr
Aug 18, 3:59 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima46 min
Aug 18, 4:20 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima85 min
Aug 18, 4:39 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise81 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.