Alert archive / Maine / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Caribou, ME

June 23, 20125 counties in Maine

NWS Caribou, ME issued this flash flood warning at Jun 23, 2012, 10:42 PM EDT for 5 counties in Maine. It was in force for 3 hr. 3 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 23, 2012, 10:42 PM EDT (02:42 UTC)
Expired
Jun 24, 2012, 1:30 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Caribou, ME
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Aroostook County, ME, Hancock County, ME, Penobscot County, ME, Piscataquis County, ME, Washington County, ME

The radar

The Caribou radar (KCBW), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:41 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 24, 12:00 AM EDTFLASH FLOODPatten, MEROUTE 11 FLOODED BUT HAS BEEN OPENED TO TRAFFIC.
Jun 24, 12:30 AM EDTFLASH FLOODMillinocket, MESOME ROADS IN MILLINOCKET WERE FLOODED.
Jun 24, 12:30 AM EDTFLASH FLOODPatten, MECLARK ROAD HAS BEEN WASHED OUT WITH BRIDGE DAMAGE. THE ROAD HAS BEEN CLOSED TO TRAFFIC.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Caribou, ME (KCAR), launched 00:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 125 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, Caribou, ME at 00:00Z on 2012-06-24Temperature 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, Caribou, ME at 00:00Z on 2012-06-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -58 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
251 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
716 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-58 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
38 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.

513 
WGUS51 KCAR 240242
FFWCAR
MEC003-009-019-021-029-240530-
/O.NEW.KCAR.FF.W.0004.120624T0242Z-120624T0530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
1042 PM EDT SAT JUN 23 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CARIBOU MAINE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MAINE...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...PATTEN...MILLINOCKET...LINCOLN...
  HOWLAND...
  EAST CENTRAL PISCATAQUIS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MAINE...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF MOUNT KATAHDIN...
  SOUTHEASTERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY IN NORTHERN MAINE...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF HOULTON...
  EXTREME NORTHEASTERN HANCOCK COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MAINE...
  NORTHWESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MAINE...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF DANFORTH...

* UNTIL 130 AM EDT

* AT 1028 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR            
  INDICATED FLASH FLOODING FROM THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN
  OVER THE WARNED AREA. LOCALIZED RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 
  INCHES PER HOUR ARE OCCURRING WITH THE HEAVIER RAIN.
  SIMILAR RAINFALL RATES COULD PERSIST IN SPOTS THROUGH THE 
  EARLY MORNING HOURS. THIS RAIN IN ADDITION TO EARLIER RAINS
  DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HAS LED TO LOCALIZED FLASH        
  FLOODING ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. MOTORISTS DRIVING AFTER DARK      
  SHOULD BE PARTICULARLY ALERT FOR FLOODING AND WASHED OUT ROADS.   

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SMYRNA
  MILLS...SHIN POND...SHERMAN...SHERMAN STATION...ISLAND FALLS...    
  HODGDON...PATTEN...HOULTON AND HAYNESVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
BROOKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. IN ADDITION...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF BROOKS AND STREAMS WILL BE 
SUBJECT TO FLOODING. 

NEVER TRY TO CROSS FLOOD WATERS IN YOUR VEHICLE OR ON FOOT. THE 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 BROOKS 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.

&&

LAT...LON 4515 6812 4521 6893 4583 6908 4636 6873
      4638 6779 4628 6777 4594 6777 4593 6774
      4588 6779 4582 6775 4580 6779 4569 6780
      4569 6771 4562 6765 4561 6759 4534 6753

$$

NORCROSS
1 follow-up statement
642 
WGUS71 KCAR 240439
FFSCAR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
1239 AM EDT SUN JUN 24 2012

MEC003-009-019-021-029-240530-
/O.CON.KCAR.FF.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120624T0530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PISCATAQUIS ME-AROOSTOOK ME-PENOBSCOT ME-WASHINGTON ME-HANCOCK ME-
1239 AM EDT SUN JUN 24 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 AM EDT FOR
EXTREME NORTHEASTERN HANCOCK...NORTHWESTERN WASHINGTON...NORTHERN
PENOBSCOT...SOUTHEASTERN AROOSTOOK AND EAST CENTRAL PISCATAQUIS
COUNTIES...

AT 1222 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A LARGE...SLOW MOVING RAIN COMPLEX ACROSS EAST CENTRAL 
MAINE.  RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE LOCALIZED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 
7 INCHES SINCE EARLY THIS EVENING...WITH THESE HIGHEST AMOUNTS 
CONCENTRATED ACROSS NORTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY...SPECIFICALLY JUST 
WEST OF PATTEN AND SOUTHWEST OF SHIN POND.  WHILE RAINFALL RATES 
APPEAR TO BE SLOWLY DECREASING OVER THE PAST HOUR OR TWO...FLASH 
FLOODING REMAINS A THREAT ACROSS THE WARNED AREA.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SMYRNA
MILLS...SHIN POND...SHERMAN...SHERMAN STATION...PATTEN...MOUNT
KATAHDIN...ISLAND FALLS...HOULTON...HODGDON AND HAYNESVILLE

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4515 6812 4521 6893 4583 6908 4636 6873
      4638 6779 4628 6777 4594 6777 4593 6774
      4588 6779 4582 6775 4580 6779 4569 6780
      4569 6771 4562 6765 4561 6759 4534 6753

$$

WALLINGFORD

The office that day

Everything else NWS Caribou, ME issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 24, 1:29 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningCARAroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Washington3 hr
Jun 24, 4:35 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningCARAroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis6 hr
Jun 24, 5:02 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningCARPiscataquis6 hr
Jun 24, 9:52 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCARAroostook, Penobscot, Washington4 hr
Jun 24, 10:42 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningCARAroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis5 hr
Jun 24, 11:17 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningCARPiscataquis2 hr
Jun 24, 1:52 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCARAroostook, Washington6 hr
Jun 24, 2:44 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCARAroostook3 hr
Jun 24, 4:23 PM EDTFlood WatchCARAroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Washington3 days

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Maine, 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.