Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 76, NWS Phoenix, AZ

September 10, 2012Maricopa County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 10, 2012, 11:25 PM MST for Maricopa County, Arizona. It was in force for 110 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Sep 10, 2012, 11:25 PM MST (06:25 UTC)
Expired
Sep 11, 2012, 1:15 AM MST
In force
110 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Maricopa County, AZ

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:24 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 00:00Z, 6.4 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, Phoenix, AZ at 00:00Z on 2012-09-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 179 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, Phoenix, AZ at 00:00Z on 2012-09-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -13 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
179 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-69 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2111 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-13 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
27 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.

591 
WGUS55 KPSR 110625
FFWPSR
AZC013-110815-
/O.NEW.KPSR.FF.W.0076.120911T0625Z-120911T0815Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1125 PM MST MON SEP 10 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL MARICOPA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...  
  THIS INCLUDES NEW RIVER AND ANTHEM...

* UNTIL 115 AM MST

* AT 1120 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED
  VERY HEAVY RAIN THAT WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING. RAIN GAUGES UPSTREAM
  ALONG SKUNK AND CLINE CREEKS REPORTED CLOSE TO ONE INCH OF RAIN 
  HAD FALLEN IN THE LAST HALF HOUR. 

* THE STORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL GENERATE RUNOFF THAT WILL
  FLOW THROUGH SKUNK AND CLINE CREEKS IN THE VICINITY OF NEW 
  RIVER ROAD...THE COMMUNITIES OF NEW RIVER AND ANTHEM AND MAY 
  IMPACT THE CAREFREE HIGHWAY FURTHER DOWNSTREAM. 

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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3393 11215 3394 11206 3379 11207 3379 11215

$$

NOLTE
3 follow-up statements
859 
WGUS75 KPSR 110653
FFSPSR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1153 PM MST MON SEP 10 2012

AZC013-110815-
/O.CON.KPSR.FF.W.0076.000000T0000Z-120911T0815Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MARICOPA AZ-
1153 PM MST MON SEP 10 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 AM MST FOR NORTH
CENTRAL MARICOPA COUNTY...

AT 1140 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED 
HEAVY RAINFALL FROM THUNDERSTORMS THAT WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING. 
STREAM GAUGE LOCATED IN THE CLINE CREEK WASH NORTHEAST OF THE 
INTERSECTION OF NEW RIVER AND CIRCLE MOUNTAIN ROAD INDICATED STREAM 
FLOW UP OVER 5 FEET FROM STORM RUNOFF. ADDITIONAL ELEVATED RUNOFF 
WAS REPORTED IN THE SKUNK CREEK WASH AS WELL.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO PORTIONS OF 
NEW RIVER...SABROSA AND LOCATIONS ALONG NEW RIVER ROAD NORTH OF 
DESERT HILLS ROAD. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE NEAR THE BANK OF A WASH OR CREEK IN THE WARNING AREA...
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3393 11215 3394 11206 3379 11207 3379 11215

$$

NOLTE
259 
WGUS75 KPSR 110746
FFSPSR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1246 AM MST TUE SEP 11 2012

AZC013-110815-
/O.CON.KPSR.FF.W.0076.000000T0000Z-120911T0815Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MARICOPA AZ-
1246 AM MST TUE SEP 11 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 AM MST FOR NORTH
CENTRAL MARICOPA COUNTY...

THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING ISSUED EARLIER FOR CLINE CREEK...WHICH IS 
LOCATED NORTHEAST OF THE COMMUNITY OF ANTHEM...CONTINUES IN EFFECT 
UNTIL 115 AM.

AT 1240 AM THE STREAM GAGE AT CLINE CREEK INDICATED FLOOD WATERS HAD 
DROPPED FROM 5 FEET TO 3 FEET. FLASH FLOODING ON CLINE CREEK WAS 
CROSSING NEW RIVER ROAD NEAR EAST MANO DRIVE...BEFORE EMPTYING INTO 
SKUNK CREEK WASH. MOTORISTS DRIVING ON NEW RIVER ROAD EAST OF ANTHEM 
SHOULD USE CAUTION...FLOODED ROADWAYS ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE NEAR THE BANK OF A WASH OR CREEK IN THE WARNING AREA...
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.

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.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF NORMALLY
DRY WASHES AND CREEKS...ROADS...AND LOW LYING SPOTS. UNBRIDGED
CROSSINGS WILL BE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS.

&&

LAT...LON 3393 11215 3394 11206 3379 11207 3379 11215

$$

HV
006 
WGUS75 KPSR 110806
FFSPSR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
106 AM MST TUE SEP 11 2012

AZC013-110816-
/O.EXP.KPSR.FF.W.0076.000000T0000Z-120911T0815Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MARICOPA AZ-
106 AM MST TUE SEP 11 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 115 AM MST FOR NORTH
CENTRAL MARICOPA COUNTY...

HEAVY RAINFALL NEAR NEW RIVER AND ANTHEM HAS ENDED. WHILE RUNOFF 
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PRE-DAWN HOURS...THE THREAT FOR WIDESPREAD 
FLASH FLOODING HAS ENDED. THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN REPLACED 
WITH A FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM. 

LAT...LON 3393 11215 3394 11206 3379 11207 3379 11215

$$

LEINS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 10, 6:38 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSR52 min
Sep 10, 7:34 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa, Pinal116 min
Sep 10, 8:33 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa117 min
Sep 10, 9:26 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRMaricopa79 min
Sep 10, 9:59 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa, Pinal2 hr
Sep 10, 10:14 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa, Pinal2 hr
Sep 10, 10:45 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRMaricopa60 min
Sep 10, 11:03 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa117 min
Sep 10, 11:12 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRLa Paz, Yuma5 hr
Sep 11, 1:05 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa3 hr
Sep 11, 1:18 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRLa Paz3 hr
Sep 11, 3:42 AM MSTFlash Flood WatchPSR11 hr

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.