Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 60, NWS Tucson, AZ

September 9, 2011Cochise County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 9, 2011, 9:17 PM MST for Cochise County, Arizona. It was in force for 58 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Sep 9, 2011, 9:17 PM MST (04:17 UTC)
Expired: Sep 9, 2011, 10:15 PM MST
In force: 58 min
Issued by: NWS Tucson, AZ
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

County Cochise County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 57 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:18 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

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 00:00Z, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 97 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: 231 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -109 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 3212 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 80 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.

626 
WGUS55 KTWC 100417
FFWTWC
AZC003-100515-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0060.110910T0417Z-110910T0515Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
917 PM MST FRI SEP 9 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN COCHISE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SIERRA VISTA...

* UNTIL 1015 PM MST

* AT 909 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL 
  OVER SOUTHWEST COCHISE COUNTY...AND SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS 
  EXTENDED WEST INTO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE 
  OVER THE WARNING AREA. THIS WARNING INCLUDES THE BURN SCAR AREA 
  OF THE MONUMENT FIRE.
  
* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO HUACHUCA
  CITY

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 3171 10998 3134 10997 3134 11045 3173 11045

$$
ZELL

2 follow-up statements

312 
WGUS75 KTWC 100456
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
956 PM MST FRI SEP 9 2011

AZC003-100515-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0060.000000T0000Z-110910T0515Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
956 PM MST FRI SEP 9 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1015 PM MST FOR
SOUTHWESTERN COCHISE COUNTY...

AT 952 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN 
AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHWEST COCHISE COUNTY 
PRODUCING LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINFALL. THIS RAINFALL IS IN ADDITION 
TO THE HEAVY RAINFALL THAT OCCURRED EARLIER. THE WARNING INCLUDES 
THE BURN SCAR AREA OF THE MONUMENT FIRE. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SIERRA VISTA
AND HUACHUCA CITY

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. MOVE
UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS
SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

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 3171 10998 3134 10997 3134 11045 3173 11045

$$
ZELL

388 
WGUS75 KTWC 100514
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
1014 PM MST FRI SEP 9 2011

AZC003-100523-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0060.000000T0000Z-110910T0515Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
1014 PM MST FRI SEP 9 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 1015 PM MST FOR
SOUTHWESTERN COCHISE COUNTY...

AT 1012 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THE HEAVY 
RAINFALL OVER SOUTHWEST COCHISE COUNTY HAD COME TO AN END. LIGHT TO 
MODERATE RAINFALL CONTINUES IN THIS AREA...SO MOTORISTS SHOULD 
CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION WITH PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS AND 
DIPS...AND SOME OF THE WASHES MAY CONTINUE TO RUN FOR THE NEXT HOUR 
OR SO. HOWEVER...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 1015 PM MST 
FOR SOUTHWEST COCHISE COUNTY.

LAT...LON 3171 10998 3134 10997 3134 11045 3173 11045

$$
ZELL

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 9, 5:08 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Pima	37 min
Sep 9, 5:40 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Pima	80 min
Sep 9, 5:40 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Pima	65 min
Sep 9, 6:09 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Cochise	66 min
Sep 9, 6:14 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	TWC		46 min
Sep 9, 6:56 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	TWC		49 min
Sep 9, 7:02 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Pima	88 min
Sep 9, 7:21 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Santa Cruz	39 min
Sep 9, 7:52 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Cochise, Santa Cruz	83 min
Sep 9, 8:31 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	TWC	Santa Cruz	74 min
Sep 10, 1:44 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	TWC	Pinal	46 min
Sep 10, 2:23 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Pima, Pinal	37 min
Sep 10, 2:49 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	TWC	Cochise	41 min
Sep 10, 2:55 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Pinal	50 min
Sep 10, 3:00 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Cochise	45 min
Sep 10, 3:10 PM MST	Tornado Warning	TWC	Pinal	20 min
Sep 10, 3:23 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Cochise	52 min
Sep 10, 3:29 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Pima, Pinal	37 min
Sep 10, 3:39 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Pinal	111 min
Sep 10, 3:45 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Cochise	45 min
Sep 10, 3:51 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	TWC	Cochise	84 min
Sep 10, 3:51 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Graham, Pinal	39 min
Sep 10, 4:06 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Cochise	114 min
Sep 10, 4:12 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Cochise	48 min
Sep 10, 4:18 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	TWC	Pima	42 min
Sep 10, 4:26 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Graham, Pinal	64 min
Sep 10, 4:29 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	TWC	Pima	2 hr
Sep 10, 4:46 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Cochise	89 min
Sep 10, 4:48 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	TWC		42 min
Sep 10, 4:55 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Pima, Pinal	50 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 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.