Alert archive / California / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS Phoenix, AZ

July 13, 2012Imperial County, California

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 13, 2012, 3:21 PM PDT for Imperial County, California. It was in force for 114 min. 1 report 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
Jul 13, 2012, 3:21 PM PDT (22:21 UTC)
Expired
Jul 13, 2012, 5:15 PM PDT
In force
114 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Imperial County, CA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 13, 3:30 PM PDTFLASH FLOOD4 Wnw Ocotillo, CADELAYED REPORT...MUD...EST SOFTBALL AND SIMILAR VARIETY SIZE ROCKS AND ADDITIONAL WASH DEBRIS ALONG AND ACROSS PORTIONS OF COUNTY ROUTE S2 WEST OF OCOTILLO. DELAYED REPORT.

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

The nearest sounding before it

San Diego, CA (KNKX), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 123 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, San Diego, CA at 12:00Z on 2012-07-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, San Diego, CA at 12:00Z on 2012-07-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 0 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1005 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
0 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-3 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.

233 
WGUS55 KPSR 132221
FFWPSR
CAC025-140015-
/O.NEW.KPSR.FF.W.0006.120713T2221Z-120714T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
321 PM PDT FRI JUL 13 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...
  THIS INCLUDES PLASTER CITY...OCOTILLO...

* UNTIL 515 PM PDT

* AT 314 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM SEELEY...TO PLASTER
  CITY...TO OCOTILLO. MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 15 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO EL CENTRO
  NAVAL AIRFIELD

RADAR ESTIMATES THAT UP TO 1 1/2 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE 
215 PM. FLOODING WILL AFFECT INTERSTATE 8 WEST OF EL CENTRO...YUHA 
WASH...NEW RIVER...AND HIGHWAY S 80.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT PEOPLE ALONG THE BANKS OF WASHES AND
CREEKS SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. NORMALLY DRY WASHES
AND STREAMS WILL SUDDENLY HAVE RUNNING WATER AND MAKE UNBRIDGED
CROSSINGS IMPASSABLE. STREETS...UNDERPASSES...AND LOW SPOTS WILL
BECOME INUNDATED MAKING DRIVING HAZARDOUS IN THE WARNED AREA.

&&

LAT...LON 3295 11610 3299 11559 3267 11556 3264 11608

$$

WOODALL
3 follow-up statements
366 
WGUS75 KPSR 132301
FFSPSR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
401 PM PDT FRI JUL 13 2012

CAC025-140015-
/O.CON.KPSR.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-120714T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
IMPERIAL CA-
401 PM PDT FRI JUL 13 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM PDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY...

AT 356 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED 
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM NEAR BRAWLEY...TO NORTH OF 
OCOTILLO.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO EL CENTRO
NAVAL AIRFIELD AND PLASTER CITY

RADAR ESTIMATES THAT UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN FELL FROM PLASTER CITY 
TO OCOTILLO SINCE 300 PM. THIS IS LIKELY PRODUCING FLOODING IN THE 
AREA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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. REMEMBER...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

&&

LAT...LON 3295 11610 3299 11559 3267 11556 3264 11608

$$

WOODALL
965 
WGUS75 KPSR 132339
FFSPSR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
439 PM PDT FRI JUL 13 2012

CAC025-140015-
/O.CON.KPSR.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-120714T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
IMPERIAL CA-
439 PM PDT FRI JUL 13 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM PDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY...

AT 437 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED 
LIGHT RAIN LINGERING NORTHWEST OF PLASTER CITY. 

HOWEVER...RADAR ESTIMATES THAT UP TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN FELL NEAR AND 
NORTH OF OCOTILLO SINCE 330 PM. CONTINUED RUNOFF FROM THE VERY HEAVY 
RAIN WILL CONTINUE THE THREAT OF RUNOFF AND FLOODING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 3295 11610 3299 11559 3267 11556 3264 11608

$$

WOODALL
958 
WGUS75 KPSR 140018
FFSPSR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
518 PM PDT FRI JUL 13 2012

CAC025-140027-
/O.EXP.KPSR.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-120714T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
IMPERIAL CA-
518 PM PDT FRI JUL 13 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR SOUTHWESTERN IMPERIAL
COUNTY...

ALTHOUGH HEAVY RAIN HAS LEFT SOUTHWESTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY...RUNOFF 
AND LOCAL PONDING OF WATER WILL BE POSSIBLE INTO THE EARLY EVENING.

LAT...LON 3295 11610 3299 11559 3267 11556 3264 11608

$$

WOODALL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 13, 1:18 PM PDTFlash Flood WatchPSR11 hr
Jul 13, 1:32 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRRiverside, San Bernardino118 min
Jul 13, 2:01 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRImperial119 min
Jul 13, 2:30 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningPSRImperial2 hr
Jul 13, 2:51 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRRiverside114 min
Jul 13, 3:09 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRImperial66 min
Jul 13, 3:53 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementPSRImperial37 min
Jul 13, 4:09 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRImperial51 min
Jul 13, 4:27 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningPSRImperial2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in California, 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.