Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 31, NWS Charleston, WV

July 31, 2012Braxton County, Nicholas County, Webster County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this flash flood warning at Jul 31, 2012, 5:53 PM EDT for Braxton County, Nicholas County, Webster County, West Virginia. It was in force for 2 hr. 3 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: Jul 31, 2012, 5:53 PM EDT (21:53 UTC)
Expired: Jul 31, 2012, 8:00 PM EDT
In force: 2 hr
Issued by: NWS Charleston, WV
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Braxton County, WV, Nicholas County, WV, Webster County, WV

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 105 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:53 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 31, 5:55 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	Webster Springs, WV	FLOODING AND STREETS CLOSED THROUGHOUT TOWN.
Jul 31, 5:58 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	3 Sw Webster Springs, WV	FLOODING WITH ROADS CLOSED THROUGHOUT TOWN.
Jul 31, 6:00 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	Camden On Gauley, WV	FLOODING WITH ROADS CLOSED THROUGHOUT TOWN.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 163 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 384 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -68 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 804 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 36 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.

643 
WGUS51 KRLX 312153
FFWRLX
WVC007-067-101-010000-
/O.NEW.KRLX.FF.W.0031.120731T2153Z-120801T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
553 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL BRAXTON COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA...
  NORTHEASTERN NICHOLAS COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA...
  WEBSTER COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF WEBSTER SPRINGS...

* UNTIL 800 PM EDT

* AT 544 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WARNED AREA.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BIRCH RIVER

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. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

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.

&&

PLEASE REPORT HIGH WATER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING
TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 3843 8022 3840 8024 3834 8033 3834 8035
      3832 8035 3824 8048 3827 8064 3838 8092
      3843 8089 3848 8082 3850 8085 3854 8082
      3861 8058 3857 8021

$$

13

1 follow-up statement

710 
WGUS71 KRLX 312239
FFSRLX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
639 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

WVC007-067-101-010000-
/O.CON.KRLX.FF.W.0031.000000T0000Z-120801T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
NICHOLAS WV-BRAXTON WV-WEBSTER WV-
639 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT FOR
WEBSTER...SOUTH CENTRAL BRAXTON AND NORTHEASTERN NICHOLAS COUNTIES...

AT 630 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE NEARLY STATIONARY THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN 
OVER THE WARNED AREA. RADAR ESTIMATES 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS 
FALLEN OVER PARTS OF THE WARNED AREA SINCE 500 PM. THESE STORMS WILL 
CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT HOUR...ENHANCING THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH 
FLOODING. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WEBSTER
SPRINGS AND BIRCH RIVER

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

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. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

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.

TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR CAR ON FLOODED ROADWAYS.

PLEASE REPORT HIGH WATER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING
TOLL FREE 877-633-6772 WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 3843 8022 3840 8024 3834 8033 3834 8035
      3832 8035 3824 8048 3827 8064 3838 8092
      3843 8089 3848 8082 3850 8085 3854 8082
      3861 8058 3857 8021

$$

05

The office that day

Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 30, 8:25 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Roane	35 min
Jul 30, 8:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Pocahontas	45 min
Jul 30, 8:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	McDowell	42 min
Jul 31, 1:00 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Randolph	60 min
Jul 31, 2:11 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Fayette	49 min
Jul 31, 2:20 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Webster	40 min
Jul 31, 2:31 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Raleigh	59 min
Jul 31, 3:08 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Nicholas	67 min
Jul 31, 3:32 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Pocahontas	28 min
Jul 31, 3:43 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Fayette	47 min
Jul 31, 4:18 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	McDowell, Wyoming	57 min
Jul 31, 4:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	McDowell, Wyoming	23 min
Jul 31, 4:28 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Fayette	32 min
Jul 31, 4:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Fayette, Kanawha	43 min
Jul 31, 4:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	McDowell, Wyoming	46 min
Jul 31, 5:04 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	McDowell, Wyoming	3 hr
Jul 31, 5:07 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Fayette, Kanawha, Raleigh	113 min
Jul 31, 6:32 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Boone	28 min
Jul 31, 7:24 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Randolph	111 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in West Virginia, 2012 Every 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.