Alert archive / New York / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Buffalo, NY

June 12, 2012Allegany County, New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this flash flood warning at Jun 12, 2012, 3:58 PM EDT for Allegany County, New York. It was in force for 3 hr. 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
Jun 12, 2012, 3:58 PM EDT (19:58 UTC)
Expired
Jun 12, 2012, 7:00 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Buffalo, NY
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Allegany County, NY

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:58 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
Jun 12, 4:30 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 N Germantown, NYROUTE 6 PARTIALLY CLOSED.
Jun 12, 4:45 PM EDTFLASH FLOODWirt, NYROUTE 275 BRIEFLY FLOODED.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 109 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2012-06-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 78 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2012-06-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 146 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
78 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
575 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
146 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
148 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.

861 
WGUS51 KBUF 121958
FFWBUF
NYC003-122300-
/O.NEW.KBUF.FF.W.0003.120612T1958Z-120612T2300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
358 PM EDT TUE JUN 12 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN ALLEGANY COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...
  THIS INCLUDES BOLIVAR AND THE CITY OF WELLSVILLE...

* UNTIL 700 PM EDT

* AT 355 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR
  INDICATED FLASH FLOODING FROM SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN  
  ALLEGANY COUNTY. DUAL POL DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATED THAT OVER 2
  INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY BEEN PRODUCED FOR SITES NEAR BOLIVAR.
  THIS HEAVY RAIN WILL MOVE EAST TO THE WELLSVILLE AND STANNARDS
  AREA. 

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.

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 ONLY TAKES A FEW INCHES OF
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 4200 7830 4217 7830 4218 7773 4200 7774

$$

RSH
3 follow-up statements
743 
WGUS71 KBUF 122056
FFSBUF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
456 PM EDT TUE JUN 12 2012

NYC003-122300-
/O.CON.KBUF.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120612T2300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ALLEGANY NY-
456 PM EDT TUE JUN 12 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHERN ALLEGANY COUNTY...

AT 449 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING OVER THE WARNED AREA.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
WELLSVILLE...WHITESVILLE...BOLIVAR. SOME OF THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL 
WAS OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE WARNED AREA IN THE TOWNSHIPS OF 
CLARKSVILLE AND WIRT WITH ABOUT TWO AND A HALF INCHES TO NEARLY 
THREE INCHES OF RAIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF A QUARTER OF AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA.

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.

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 4200 7830 4217 7830 4218 7773 4200 7774

$$

WCH
615 
WGUS71 KBUF 122217
FFSBUF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
617 PM EDT TUE JUN 12 2012

NYC003-122300-
/O.CON.KBUF.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120612T2300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ALLEGANY NY-
617 PM EDT TUE JUN 12 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHERN ALLEGANY COUNTY...

AT 611 PM EDT...A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED
OVER THE WARNED AREA.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
WELLSVILLE...WHITESVILLE AND BOLIVAR.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF A TENTH OF AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA.

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 4200 7830 4217 7830 4218 7773 4200 7774

$$

WCH
296 
WGUS71 KBUF 122258
FFSBUF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
658 PM EDT TUE JUN 12 2012

NYC003-122309-
/O.EXP.KBUF.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120612T2300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ALLEGANY NY-
658 PM EDT TUE JUN 12 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 700 PM EDT FOR SOUTHERN
ALLEGANY COUNTY...

THE FLOODING HAS RECEDED...THUS THE FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO
EXPIRE.

AT 659 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THAT THE
THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD EXITED THE AREA...THUS THE
FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 4200 7830 4217 7830 4218 7773 4200 7774

$$

WCH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 12, 1:40 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFCattaraugus65 min
Jun 12, 2:55 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFWayne65 min
Jun 12, 2:59 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBUFAllegany, Cattaraugus3 hr
Jun 12, 3:19 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBUFCattaraugus116 min
Jun 12, 3:40 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBUFAllegany3 hr
Jun 12, 3:45 PM EDTSmall Craft AdvisoryBUF19 hr
Jun 12, 6:04 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFGenesee56 min
Jun 12, 7:16 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBUF59 min
Jun 12, 7:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFWyoming58 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in New York, 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.