Alert archive / California / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Phoenix, AZ

July 13, 2012Imperial County, California

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 13, 2012, 4:27 PM PDT for Imperial County, California. It was in force for 2 hr. 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, 4:27 PM PDT (23:27 UTC)
Expired
Jul 13, 2012, 6:30 PM PDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Imperial County, CA

The radar

The Yuma radar (KYUX), 123 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:29 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
Jul 13, 4:27 PM PDTFLASH FLOOD11 Ssw Salton City, CACHP REPORTED CLOSURE OF CA SR 78 W OF JUNCTION WITH 86 DUE TO FLOODING. REPORTS OF SEVERAL VEHICLES IN WASHES AND ADDITIONAL ROADWAY FLOODING.

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, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 150 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°0°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.

305 
WGUS55 KPSR 132327
FFWPSR
CAC025-140130-
/O.NEW.KPSR.FF.W.0007.120713T2327Z-120714T0130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...
  THIS INCLUDES SALTON CITY...BRAWLEY...

* UNTIL 630 PM PDT

* AT 419 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM SOUTH OF OCOTILLO
  WELLS...TO NEAR CALIPATRIA...TO NORTHEAST OF NILAND. MOVEMENT WAS
  NORTH AT 15 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WINONA...
  NILAND AND COOLIDGE SPRING.

THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PRODUCED WIDESPREAD RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES 
SINCE 330 PM. THE HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY PRODUCE RUNOFF AND FLOODING.

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 3340 11606 3342 11506 3312 11517 3297 11553
      3292 11609

$$

WOODALL
2 follow-up statements
156 
WGUS75 KPSR 140009
FFSPSR

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

CAC025-140130-
/O.CON.KPSR.FF.W.0007.000000T0000Z-120714T0130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
IMPERIAL CA-
509 PM PDT FRI JUL 13 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM PDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY...

...SIGNIFICANT FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE NEAR CALIPATRIA AND NILAND...

AT 503 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED 
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM NEAR SALTON CITY...TO NEAR 
NILAND...TO NEAR BLACK HILLS. MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 15 MPH.

RADAR INDICATES THAT 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN EAST OF 
CALIPATRIA AND NILAND SINCE 400 PM. THE HEAVY RAIN WILL PRODUCE 
SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF RUNOFF...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING.

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 3340 11606 3342 11506 3312 11517 3297 11553
      3292 11609

$$

WOODALL
326 
WGUS75 KPSR 140116
FFSPSR

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

CAC025-140130-
/O.CON.KPSR.FF.W.0007.000000T0000Z-120714T0130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
IMPERIAL CA-
616 PM PDT FRI JUL 13 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM PDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY...

AT 613 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED 
MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN OVER FAR NORTHERN IMPERIAL COUNTY.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SALTON CITY.

ALTHOUGH THE HEAVY RAIN HAS LEFT THE AREA...RUNOFF FROM THE EARLIER 
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THE THREAT FOR FLOODING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL 
CREEKS AND STREAMS...IF YOU ENCOUNTER FLOODING...REMEMBER...TURN 
AROUND...DONT DROWN.

&&

LAT...LON 3340 11606 3342 11506 3312 11517 3297 11553
      3292 11609

$$

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, 3:21 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningPSRImperial114 min
Jul 13, 3:53 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementPSRImperial37 min
Jul 13, 4:09 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRImperial51 min

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.