Alert archive / Massachusetts / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Albany, NY

August 11, 2012Berkshire County, Massachusetts

NWS Albany, NY issued this flash flood warning at Aug 11, 2012, 2:52 PM EDT for Berkshire County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 6 hr. 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 11, 2012, 2:52 PM EDT (18:52 UTC)
Expired
Aug 11, 2012, 8:45 PM EDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Albany, NY
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Berkshire County, MA

The radar

The Albany radar (KENX), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:52 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 11, 3:27 PM EDTFLASH FLOODNorth Adams, MASEVERAL ROADS DOWNTOWN

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

The nearest sounding before it

Albany, NY (KALY), launched 12:00Z, 6.9 hours before the alert went out and 66 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, Albany, NY at 12:00Z on 2012-08-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 225 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, Albany, NY at 12:00Z on 2012-08-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 45 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
225 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
600 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
105 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.

884 
WGUS51 KALY 111852
FFWALY
MAC003-120045-
/O.NEW.KALY.FF.W.0004.120811T1852Z-120812T0045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
252 PM EDT SAT AUG 11 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF NORTH ADAMS...

* UNTIL 845 PM EDT

* AT 248 PM EDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED FLASH FLOODING   
  FROM HEAVY RAINFALL FROM THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WARNED AREA.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO NORTH      
  ADAMS...FLORIDA AND WILLIAMSTOWN.

URBAN FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN NORTH ADAMS ON ROUTE 8...ASHLAND 
STREET...CHASE AVENUE AND RIVER STREET. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL 
LEAD TO MORE FLOODING...ESPECIALLY FOR LOCATIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY 
RECEIVED OVER TWO INCHES OF RAIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

PLEASE REPORT FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY EMAIL AT
ALB.STORMREPORT@NOAA.GOV OR ON FACEBOOK AT
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.ALBANY.GOV.

&&

LAT...LON 4261 7295 4255 7297 4249 7298 4248 7335
      4274 7326 4274 7301 4271 7301 4271 7295
      4269 7295 4267 7298 4266 7295

$$

JPV
1 follow-up statement
405 
WGUS71 KALY 112015
FFSALY

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
415 PM EDT SAT AUG 11 2012

MAC003-120045-
/O.CON.KALY.FF.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120812T0045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BERKSHIRE MA-
415 PM EDT SAT AUG 11 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM EDT FOR
NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY...

AT 412 PM EDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED ADDITIONAL FLASH 
FLOODING IN DOWNTOWN NORTH ADAMS...WITH SEVERAL ROADS CLOSED.

MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING INTO THE AREA...RESULTING 
IN A CONTINUED THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
WILLIAMSTOWN...NORTH ADAMS AND FLORIDA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

PLEASE REPORT FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY EMAIL AT
ALB.STORMREPORT@NOAA.GOV OR ON FACEBOOK AT
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.ALBANY.GOV

&&

LAT...LON 4261 7295 4255 7297 4249 7298 4248 7335
      4274 7326 4274 7301 4271 7301 4271 7295
      4269 7295 4267 7298 4266 7295

$$

JPV

The office that day

Everything else NWS Albany, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 11, 12:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYBerkshire64 min
Aug 11, 12:35 PM EDTTornado WarningALYBerkshire25 min
Aug 11, 2:21 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryALYBerkshire3 hr
Aug 11, 3:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYBerkshire67 min
Aug 11, 4:41 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryALYBerkshire3 hr
Aug 11, 4:48 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementALYFranklin27 min
Aug 11, 4:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYBerkshire61 min
Aug 11, 7:14 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningALYBerkshire3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Massachusetts, 2012Every flash flood warning in 2012

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.