Alert archive / Michigan / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Detroit, MI

May 4, 2012Genesee County, Shiawassee County, Michigan

NWS Detroit, MI issued this flash flood warning at May 4, 2012, 2:54 AM EDT for Genesee County, Shiawassee County, Michigan. It was in force for 6 hr. 15 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
May 4, 2012, 2:54 AM EDT (06:54 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2012, 9:00 AM EDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Detroit, MI
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Genesee County, MI, Shiawassee County, MI

The radar

The Detroit radar (KDTX), 50 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:54 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
May 4, 4:00 AM EDTFLOOD8 E Corunna, MISHIAWASSE CENTRAL DISPATCH REPORTED SEVERAL FEET OF WATER COVERING M 21 NEAR BYRON ROAD.
May 4, 4:00 AM EDTFLOODFlint, MIA SPOTTER REPORTED AT LEAST TWO FEET OF WATER COVERING MANY ROADS IN DOWNTOWN FLINT.
May 4, 4:00 AM EDTFLOODSwartz Creek, MIGENESSE COUNTY CENTRAL DISPATCH REPORT EXTENSIVE FLOODING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. SEVERAL HOMES HAVE FLOODED AND NUMEROUS ROADS ARE SHUT DOWN...INCLUDING SECTIONS OF I-75 AND I-69. THE MOST EXTENSIVE FLOODING IS IN SWARTZ CREEK AND FLINT TOWNSHIP.
May 4, 4:30 AM EDTFLOODSwartz Creek, MISEVERE FLOODING WAS REPORTED AT THE APPLE CREEK APARTMENT COMPLEX. MANY RESIDENTS HAD TO EVACUATE AS THE WATER ROSE SEVERAL FEET DEEP.
May 4, 4:40 AM EDTHEAVY RAIN 4.825 Sse Flint, MI11 HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL. FLOODING REPORTED THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE COUNTY.
May 4, 6:00 AM EDTFLOODGrand Blanc, MIIT WAS REPORTED THAT SEVERAL FEET OF WATER WAS SURROUNDING THE KNOLLWOOD APARTMENT COMPLEX ON HILL ROAD.
May 4, 6:00 AM EDTHEAVY RAIN 3.89Corunna, MI24 HOUR TOTAL.
May 4, 6:45 AM EDTHEAVY RAIN 1.95Owosso, MI24 HOUR TOTAL.
May 4, 7:00 AM EDTHEAVY RAIN 1.63Burton, MI24 HOUR TOTAL.
May 4, 7:10 AM EDTFLOODGaines, MISEVERAL ROADS IMPASSABLE ALONG MORRISH ROAD BETWEEN HILL AND GRAND BLANC ROADS.
May 4, 7:30 AM EDTHEAVY RAIN 3.52Goodrich, MI24 HOUR TOTAL.
May 4, 8:00 AM EDTHEAVY RAIN 1.01Durand, MI24 HOUR TOTAL.
May 4, 8:00 AM EDTHEAVY RAIN 3.167 W Flint, MI24 HOUR TOTAL.
May 4, 8:00 AM EDTHEAVY RAIN 4.775 Sse Flushing, MI24 HOUR TOTAL.
May 4, 8:00 AM EDTHEAVY RAIN 5.48Flint, MI24 HOUR TOTAL AT FLINT BISHOP AIRPORT.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 00:00Z, 6.9 hours before the alert went out and 51 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, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 2012-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 682 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, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 2012-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 113 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
682 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1887 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
113 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
151 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

115 
WGUS53 KDTX 040654
FFWDTX
MIC049-155-041300-
/O.NEW.KDTX.FF.W.0004.120504T0654Z-120504T1300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
254 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DETROIT/PONTIAC HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  GENESEE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN...
  SHIAWASSEE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN...

* UNTIL 900 AM EDT

* AT 250 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE      
  WARNED AREA. SINCE LAST EVENING...RADAR INDICATED ANYWHERE BETWEEN 
  2 AND 5 INCHES HAVE FALLEN. 

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  CLIO...DAVISON...DURAND...FENTON...FLINT...FLUSHING...GRAND
  BLANC...LAINGSBURG...NEW LOTHROP...OWOSSO...PERRY...BANCROFT...
  BURTON...BYRON...CORUNNA...GAINES...GOODRICH...HENDERSON...
  LENNON...LINDEN...MONTROSE...MORRICE...MOUNT MORRIS...OTISVILLE AND
  SWARTZ CREEK.

BOTH GENESEE AND SHIAWASSEE CENTRAL DISPATCHES HAVE REPORTED 
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF FLOODED ROADWAYS...ESPECIALLY IN AND AROUND 
OWOSSO...SWARTZ CREEK...FLINT AND GRAND BLANC. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE 
IN THE WARNED AREA.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. DO
NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO
ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN 
WATER BEGINS RISING. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS 
SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.

&&

LAT...LON 4313 8436 4313 8393 4322 8393 4322 8346
      4289 8346 4286 8369 4278 8369 4277 8436

$$

SC
5 follow-up statements
104 
WGUS73 KDTX 040748
FFSDTX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
348 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

MIC049-155-041300-
/O.CON.KDTX.FF.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120504T1300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GENESEE MI-SHIAWASSEE MI-
348 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SHIAWASSEE AND GENESEE
COUNTIES UNTIL 900 AM EDT...

AT 347 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
PERSISTENT THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS OF THE WARNED AREA. THESE 
STORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST 5 AM BEFORE WEAKENING. DOPPLER 
RADAR PRECIP ESTIMATES SINCE LAST EVENING INDICATE 3 TO 6 INCHES OF 
RAIN HAS FALLEN ALONG AN AXIS FROM OWOSSO TO GRAND BLANC...WITH THE 
HIGHEST AMOUNTS IN AND AROUND CORUNNA...LENNON AND SWARTZ CREEK. 

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING INCLUDE...
CLIO...DAVISON...DURAND...FENTON...FLINT...FLUSHING...GRAND BLANC...
LAINGSBURG...NEW LOTHROP...OWOSSO...PERRY...BANCROFT...BURTON...
BYRON...CORUNNA...GAINES...GOODRICH...HENDERSON...LENNON...LINDEN...
MONTROSE...MORRICE...MOUNT MORRIS...OTISVILLE AND SWARTZ CREEK.

BOTH GENESEE AND SHIAWASSEE COUNTY CENTRAL DISPATCHES HAVE RECEIVED 
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF FLOODED ROADS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY. DO NOT
ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND. DO NOT 
STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING. 
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE 
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.

&&

LAT...LON 4313 8436 4313 8393 4322 8393 4322 8346
      4289 8346 4286 8369 4278 8369 4277 8436

$$

SC
397 
WGUS73 KDTX 040833
FFSDTX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
433 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

MIC049-155-041300-
/O.CON.KDTX.FF.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120504T1300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GENESEE MI-SHIAWASSEE MI-
433 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SHIAWASSEE AND GENESEE
COUNTIES UNTIL 900 AM EDT...

AT 427 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THAT THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN DIMINISHING IN COVERAGE ACROSS THE 
AREA. THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 8 AM. HOWEVER...RADAR HAS 
ESTIMATED STORM TOTAL RAINFALL SINCE LAST EVENING OF 4 TO 6.5 INCHES 
ALONG A CORRIDOR FROM JUDDVILLE IN NORTHEAST SHIAWASSEE COUNTY TO 
GOODRICH IN SOUTHEAST GENESSEE COUNTY...WITH THE HIGHEST TOTALS IN 
AND AROUND LENNON...SWARTZ CREEK...FLINT TOWNSHIP AND GRAND BLANC. 

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING INCLUDE...
CLIO...DAVISON...DURAND...FENTON...FLINT...FLUSHING...GRAND BLANC...
LAINGSBURG...NEW LOTHROP...OWOSSO...PERRY...BANCROFT...BURTON...
BYRON...CORUNNA...GAINES...GOODRICH...HENDERSON...LENNON...LINDEN...
MONTROSE...MORRICE...MOUNT MORRIS...OTISVILLE AND SWARTZ CREEK.

LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE REPORTED NUMEROUS ROADS UNDERWATER. THIS HAS 
LED TO MANY ROAD CLOSURES ACROSS THE AREA. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN 
REPORTS OF HOMES FLOODED. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE 
FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS 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 4313 8436 4313 8393 4322 8393 4322 8346
      4289 8346 4286 8369 4278 8369 4277 8436

$$

SC
119 
WGUS73 KDTX 041008
FFSDTX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
608 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

MIC049-155-041300-
/O.CON.KDTX.FF.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120504T1300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GENESEE MI-SHIAWASSEE MI-
608 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SHIAWASSEE AND GENESEE
COUNTIES UNTIL 900 AM EDT...

AT 558 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
SOME REDEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHEAST SHIAWASSEE AND 
NORTH CENTRAL GENESEE COUNTIES. THESE STORMS ARE A LITTLE FARTHER 
NORTH THAN LOCATIONS WHICH RECEIVED THE MOST EXCESSIVE RAINFALL 
OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...THEY MAY LEAD TO SOME ADDITIONAL FLOODING 
CONCERNS IN AND AROUND NEW LOTHROP AND FLUSHING. THE STORMS ARE 
EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE SHORTLY AFTER DAYBREAK.

RADAR HAS ESTIMATED STORM TOTAL RAINFALL SINCE LAST EVENING OF 4 TO 
6.5 INCHES ALONG A CORRIDOR FROM JUDDVILLE IN NORTHEAST SHIAWASSEE 
COUNTY TO GOODRICH IN SOUTHEAST GENESSEE COUNTY...WITH THE HIGHEST 
TOTALS IN AND AROUND LENNON...SWARTZ CREEK...FLINT TOWNSHIP AND 
GRAND BLANC. 

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE FLASH 
FLOODING. LAW ENFORCEMENT...SPOTTERS AND BROADCAST MEDIA HAVE ALL 
REPORTED SEVERE FLOODING ON MANY ROADS ACROSS THE AREA. IN SOME 
CASES...THE WATER HAS BEEN SEVERAL FEET DEEP. MANY ROADS ARE 
CLOSED...WITH THE MOST EXTENSIVE ROAD CLOSERS IN FLINT TOWNSHIP AND 
SWARTZ CREEK. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM LAST NIGHTS HEAVY RAINS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE 
FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS 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 4313 8436 4313 8393 4322 8393 4322 8346
      4289 8346 4286 8369 4278 8369 4277 8436

$$

SC
595 
WGUS73 KDTX 041128
FFSDTX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
728 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

MIC049-155-041300-
/O.CON.KDTX.FF.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120504T1300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GENESEE MI-SHIAWASSEE MI-
728 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SHIAWASSEE AND GENESEE
COUNTIES UNTIL 900 AM EDT...

AT 722 AM EDT...RADAR INDICATED THAT THE HEAVY RAINFALL HAS FINALLY 
ENDED. NO ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE REST OF THE 
MORNING. HOWEVER...RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES AND SPOTTER RAIN GAUGE 
REPORTS ARE INDICATING THAT ANYWHERE FROM 4 TO 6.5 INCHES OF RAIN 
FELL LAST NIGHT ALONG A CORRIDOR FROM NEW LOTHROP TO GOODRICH...WITH 
THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS OCCURRING IN AND AROUND LENNON...SWARTZ 
CREEK...FLINT TOWNSHIP AND GRAND BLANC. THERE ARE STILL NUMEROUS 
ROADS UNDER SEVERAL FEET OF WATER. SO ALTHOUGH THE HEAVY RAIN HAS 
ENDED...THE FLOODING CONTINUES.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM LAST NIGHTS HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE 
RAPID RISES OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS. WIDESPREAD FLOODING WILL 
ALSO PERSIST THIS MORNING IN URBAN AREAS...AND ON 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 4313 8436 4313 8393 4322 8393 4322 8346
      4289 8346 4286 8369 4278 8369 4277 8436

$$

SC
456 
WGUS73 KDTX 041256
FFSDTX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
856 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

MIC049-155-041310-
/O.EXP.KDTX.FF.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120504T1300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GENESEE MI-SHIAWASSEE MI-
856 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR SHIAWASSEE AND
GENESEE COUNTIES WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 900 AM EDT...

THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 9 AM...REPLACED 
BY AN AREAL FLOOD WARNING TO ADDRESS THE ONGOING FLOODING. 
PERSISTENT RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 
THE DAY...WITH THE FLOODING CONDITIONS SLOW TO RECEDE.  

LAT...LON 4313 8436 4313 8393 4322 8393 4322 8346
      4289 8346 4286 8369 4278 8369 4277 8436

$$

MR

The office that day

Everything else NWS Detroit, MI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 10:36 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXWashtenaw39 min
May 3, 10:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXLivingston49 min
May 4, 1:37 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryDTXGenesee4 hr
May 4, 1:44 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryDTXShiawassee4 hr
May 4, 2:09 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryDTXLivingston4 hr
May 4, 3:54 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryDTXOakland3 hr
May 4, 5:29 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningDTXGenesee10 hr
May 4, 7:48 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningDTXGenesee, Saginaw15 hr
May 4, 8:54 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningDTXGenesee, Shiawassee8 hr
May 4, 2:56 PM EDTSmall Craft AdvisoryDTX31 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Michigan, 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.