Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 43, NWS Phoenix, AZ

August 20, 2012La Paz County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 20, 2012, 6:01 PM MST for La Paz County, Arizona. It was in force for 89 min. 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
Aug 20, 2012, 6:01 PM MST (01:01 UTC)
Expired
Aug 20, 2012, 7:30 PM MST
In force
89 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County La Paz County, AZ

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 20, 6:30 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD2 Ene Quartzsite, AZREPORTS OF MULTIPLE ROAD CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY OF QUARTZSITE DUE TO HEAVY RAIN GENERATING HIGH WATER AND FLASH FLOODING. STREETS IMPACTED INCLUDE RIGGLES AVE. QUAIL TRAIL ST. AND PLYMOUTH.
Aug 20, 6:30 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD5 N Quartzsite, AZTYSON WASH APPROX 5 MILES NORTH OF QUARTZSITE WAS RUNNING AND COVERING STATE ROUTE 95. QUARTZSITE PD REPORTED AZ DPS AND ADOT RESPONDING AND HAD RESTRICTIONS-CLOSURES ALONG THE HIGHWAY. ESTIMATED TIME OF INITIAL FLOODING IMPACT AFTER 630PM LOCAL.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Yuma Intl Airpor, AZ (KYUM), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 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, Yuma Intl Airpor, AZ at 00:00Z on 2012-08-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1614 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Yuma Intl Airpor, AZ at 00:00Z on 2012-08-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -27 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1614 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-66 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2403 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-27 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-2 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.

167 
WGUS55 KPSR 210101
FFWPSR
AZC012-210230-
/O.NEW.KPSR.FF.W.0043.120821T0101Z-120821T0230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
601 PM MST MON AUG 20 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL LA PAZ COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 730 PM MST

* AT 553 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED 
  STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL THAT WILL 
  CAUSE FLASH FLOODING. RADAR ESTIMATES THAT UP TO ONE INCH OF
  RAINFALL HAS FALLEN IN THE LAST 15 MINUTES. 

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO QUARTZSITE
  AND INTERSTATE 10 EAST OF QUARTZSITE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN MOTORIZED VEHICLES. WHEN ENCOUNTERING
FLOODED ROADS...MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

TO REPORT FLOODING...PLEASE RELAY YOUR REPORT TO LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 3378 11402 3359 11398 3358 11424 3376 11426

$$

NOLTE
2 follow-up statements
789 
WGUS75 KPSR 210129
FFSPSR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
629 PM MST MON AUG 20 2012

AZC012-210230-
/O.CON.KPSR.FF.W.0043.000000T0000Z-120821T0230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LA PAZ AZ-
629 PM MST MON AUG 20 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM MST FOR
CENTRAL LA PAZ COUNTY...

AT 621 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS CONTINUED TO 
MONITOR AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL AND 
POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING NEAR QUARTZSITE. IMPACTS RELATED TO 
FLASH FLOODING ARE ANTICIPATED ALONG PORTIONS OF INTERSTATE 10 EAST 
OF QUARTZSITE...THE COMMUNITY OF QUARTZSITE AND ALONG STATE ROUTE 95 
NORTH OF QUARTZSITE. TRAVELERS AND RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD BE 
PREPARED FOR PONDING OF WATER ON ROAD SURFACES AND AVOID CROSSING 
WATER COVERED ROADWAYS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN MOTORIZED VEHICLES. WHEN ENCOUNTERING
FLOODED ROADS...MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

TO REPORT FLOODING...PLEASE RELAY YOUR REPORT TO LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 3378 11402 3359 11398 3358 11424 3376 11426

$$

NOLTE
115 
WGUS75 KPSR 210225
FFSPSR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
725 PM MST MON AUG 20 2012

AZC012-210232-
/O.EXP.KPSR.FF.W.0043.000000T0000Z-120821T0230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LA PAZ AZ-
725 PM MST MON AUG 20 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 730 PM MST FOR CENTRAL LA
PAZ COUNTY...

STORM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEAVY RAINFALL HAVE SINCE DISSIPATED OVER 
THE WARNING AREA. LOCAL POLICE EARLIER REPORTED DEBRIS ACROSS AREA 
ROADWAYS AND TRAVEL IMPACTS ACROSS QUARTZSITE DUE TO THE RUNOFF FROM 
THE HEAVY RAINFALL. EVEN THOUGH THE RAINFALL HAS GENERALLY 
ENDED...IMPACTS FROM RUNOFF AND RUNNING OF NORMALLY DRY WASHES MAY 
CONTINUE OVER THE NEW FEW HOURS. REMEMBER...DO NOT CROSS WATER 
COVERED ROADWAYS AS YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS UNDERNEATH THE WATER AND 
WHAT CONDITION THE ROAD MAY BE IN. TURN AROUND...DO NOT DROWN.

LAT...LON 3378 11402 3359 11398 3358 11424 3376 11426

$$

NOLTE

The office that day

Everything else NWS Phoenix, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 20, 5:05 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSR55 min
Aug 20, 5:43 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRLa Paz47 min
Aug 20, 6:42 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRMaricopa33 min
Aug 20, 6:53 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSR37 min
Aug 20, 6:57 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa62 min
Aug 20, 7:01 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa59 min
Aug 20, 7:11 PM MSTBlowing Dust AdvisoryPSR81 min
Aug 20, 7:21 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRMaricopa114 min
Aug 21, 2:17 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRGila43 min
Aug 21, 3:51 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRLa Paz39 min
Aug 21, 4:18 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRGila117 min
Aug 21, 4:42 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRLa Paz93 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 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.