Alert archive / Illinois / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 3, 2012Marshall County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this flash flood warning at May 3, 2012, 8:39 PM CDT for Marshall County, Illinois. It was in force for 6 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
May 3, 2012, 8:39 PM CDT (01:39 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2012, 2:30 AM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Marshall County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:39 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 3, 9:05 PM CDTFLASH FLOOD2 Ssw Varna, IL6 TO 8 INCHES OF WATER OVER HIGHWAY 89.
May 3, 9:25 PM CDTFLASH FLOOD2 S Varna, IL12 INCHES OF WATER OVER ROUTE 89...SOUTH OF ROUTE 17. SEVERAL PLACES ON ROUTE 17 WITH WATER OVER THE ROAD. BARRICADES BEING PLACED IN THIS AREA. FROM SHERIFF.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 117 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, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2012-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1905 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, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2012-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 12 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
1905 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1071 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
12 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
96 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

965 
WGUS53 KILX 040139
FFWILX
ILC123-040730-
/O.NEW.KILX.FF.W.0001.120504T0139Z-120504T0730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
839 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

* UNTIL 230 AM CDT

* AT 837 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE      
  WARNED AREA. 

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  LACON...HENRY...TOLUCA...VARNA AND WENONA.

DOPPLER RADAR HAS INDICATED THAT 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN 
ACROSS THE WARNED AREA SINCE 730 PM CDT. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IN 
EXCESS OF 1 INCH IS LIKELY AS THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO REDEVELOP 
AND MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH 10 PM CDT.  

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. 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.

&&

LAT...LON 4112 8932 4111 8933 4111 8905 4110 8904
      4093 8905 4093 8945 4114 8943 4115 8932

$$

BARNES
3 follow-up statements
910 
WGUS73 KILX 040224
FFSILX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
924 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

ILC123-040730-
/O.CON.KILX.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120504T0730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MARSHALL IL-
924 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY
UNTIL 230 AM CDT...

AT 905 PM CDT...WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY 
HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. 8 INCHES OF WATER WAS FLOWING 
OVER ROUTE 89...2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF VARNA.  DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES 
SHOW UP TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN.  

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING INCLUDE...
LACON...HENRY...TOLUCA...VARNA AND WENONA.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH IS LIKELY OVER THE WARNED 
AREA THROUGH 1030 PM...AS THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO REDEVELOP.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4112 8932 4111 8933 4111 8905 4110 8904
      4093 8905 4093 8945 4114 8943 4115 8932

$$

CHS
393 
WGUS73 KILX 040330
FFSILX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1030 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

ILC123-040730-
/O.CON.KILX.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120504T0730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MARSHALL IL-
1030 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY
UNTIL 230 AM CDT...

AT 925 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT FLASH 
FLOODING WAS OCCURRING IN EAST CENTRAL MARSHALL COUNTY.  ONE FOOT OF 
WATER WAS FLOWING OVER ROUTE 89...JUST SOUTH OF ROUTE 17.  SEVERAL 
AREAS ALONG ROUTE 17 HAD WATER OVER THE ROAD...AND EMERGENCY 
OFFICIALS WERE PLACING BARRICADES IN THE AREA.  DOPPLER RADAR 
RAINFALL ESTIMATES SHOWED 4 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN 
APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES SOUTH OF VARNA.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING INCLUDE...LACON...
HENRY...TOLUCA...VARNA AND WENONA.

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.

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 4112 8932 4111 8933 4111 8905 4110 8904
      4093 8905 4093 8945 4114 8943 4115 8932

$$

CHS
870 
WGUS73 KILX 040540
FFSILX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1240 AM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

ILC123-040730-
/O.CON.KILX.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120504T0730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MARSHALL IL-
1240 AM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY
UNTIL 230 AM CDT...

AT 1236 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE 
WARNED AREA. DOPPLER RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES RANGE FROM 3 TO 6 
INCHES FROM JUST EAST OF LACON TO NEAR TOLUCA SINCE 900 PM WEDNESDAY
EVENING. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THIS
AREA THROUGH 200 AM. 

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING 
INCLUDE...LACON...HENRY...TOLUCA...VARNA AND WENONA.

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.

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 4112 8932 4111 8933 4111 8905 4110 8904
      4093 8905 4093 8945 4114 8943 4115 8932

$$

SMITH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lincoln, IL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 7:26 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementILXMarshall64 min
May 3, 7:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMarshall54 min
May 3, 8:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMarshall51 min
May 3, 11:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXKnox44 min
May 3, 11:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMarshall, Peoria, Stark61 min
May 4, 12:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXPeoria, Tazewell, Woodford53 min
May 4, 12:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMarshall, Peoria46 min
May 4, 12:52 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMcLean, Woodford35 min
May 4, 2:29 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXMarshall6 hr
May 4, 8:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXClay, Jasper, Richland43 min
May 4, 1:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXLawrence38 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Illinois, 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.