Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 16, NWS Blacksburg, VA

May 8, 2012Patrick County, Virginia; Stokes County, Surry County, North Carolina

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flash flood warning at May 8, 2012, 10:48 PM EDT for Patrick County, Virginia; Stokes County, Surry County, North Carolina. It was in force for 4 hr. 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: May 8, 2012, 10:48 PM EDT (02:48 UTC)
Expired: May 9, 2012, 2:45 AM EDT
In force: 4 hr
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Stokes County, NC, Surry County, NC, Patrick County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 59 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:52 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
May 9, 12:35 AM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	1 Nw Long Hill, NC	ROADS CLOSED
May 9, 12:35 AM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	2 Wsw Westfield, NC	ROADS CLOSED

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

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 57 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: 297 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 804 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 88 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 130 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 1.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

970 
WGUS51 KRNK 090248
FFWRNK
NCC169-171-VAC141-090645-
/O.NEW.KRNK.FF.W.0016.120509T0248Z-120509T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1048 PM EDT TUE MAY 8 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  STOKES COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
  EASTERN SURRY COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHERN PATRICK COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 245 AM EDT.

* AT 1041 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR 
  INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS 
  OVER THE WARNED AREA.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO STUART...
  PENNS STORE...CRITZ...WOODVILLE...WESTFIELD...SANDY RIDGE...
  FRANCISCO...COLLINSTOWN...AYERSVILLE...LAWSONVILLE...AND KING.

RAINFALL OF 2.0 TO 2.5 INCHES HAS OCCURRED ACROSS THE WARNED AREA
THIS EVENING AND ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING
THROUGH THE WARNED AREA AT THIS TIME. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 1.0
TO 2.0 INCHES IS LIKELY THROUGH MIDNIGHT. THE GROUND IN THE AREA IS
COMPLETELY SATURATED FROM RECENT RAINFALL AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL
WILL SIMPLY RESULT IN EXCESSIVE RUNOFF INTO AREA CREEKS AND 
STREAMS. ROAD CLOSURES HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED IN SOUTHWEST 
STOKES COUNTY NEAR KING. FLOOD MONITORING SYSTEMS INDICATE THAT 
FLOODING MAY BE OCCURRING NOW ON THE ARARAT RIVER...STONEY 
CREEK...AND TOMS CREEK IN EASTERN SURRY COUNTY. 
 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE 
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. MOVE 
UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS 
SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

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.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

PLEASE RELAY ANY REPORTS OF FLOODING INCLUDING MUDSLIDES...OR ROAD
CLOSURES TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG BY CALLING
TOLL FREE...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4. DELAYED REPORTS ARE WELCOME.

&&

LAT...LON 3626 8054 3628 8054 3628 8058 3628 8059
      3655 8058 3677 8010 3674 8010 3674 8008
      3672 8010 3666 8006 3655 8005 3654 8002
      3626 8004

$$

RAB

2 follow-up statements

546 
WGUS71 KRNK 090521
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
121 AM EDT WED MAY 9 2012

NCC169-171-VAC141-090645-
/O.CON.KRNK.FF.W.0016.000000T0000Z-120509T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
STOKES NC-SURRY NC-PATRICK VA-
121 AM EDT WED MAY 9 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 245 AM EDT FOR
STOKES...EASTERN SURRY AND SOUTHERN PATRICK COUNTIES...

AT 1259 AM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED SEVERAL 
ROADS CLOSED DUE TO FLASH FLOODING FROM THE EARLIER STORMS.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ARARAT AND 
SILOAM. 

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.

FLOOD WATERS ARE MOVING DOWN THE ARARAT RIVER FROM JUST SOUTH OF 
MOUNT AIRY TO SILOAM. RADAR ROAD JUST NORTH OF ARARAT...AND ARARAT 
ROAD WERE FLOODED AND CLOSED. HIATT ROAD AND OLD U.S. HIGHWAY 52 
NEAR INTERSTATE 74 WERE ALSO FLOODED AND CLOSED. 

AS THE FLOOD WATERS CONTINUE TO DRAIN INTO THE ARARAT RIVER AND MOVE 
DOWNSTREAM FLOODING IS LIKELY ON OR NEAR PILOT POWER DAM ROAD AND 
CAMPGROUND LANE...REED ROAD...AND SILOAMS ROAD NEAR ARARAT...AND ON 
REEVES ROAD...QUAKER CHURCH ROAD.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. MOVE
UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS
SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

&&

LAT...LON 3626 8054 3628 8054 3628 8058 3628 8059
      3655 8058 3677 8010 3674 8010 3674 8008
      3672 8010 3666 8006 3655 8005 3654 8002
      3626 8004

$$

AMS

629 
WGUS71 KRNK 090646
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
246 AM EDT WED MAY 9 2012

NCC169-171-VAC141-090655-
/O.EXP.KRNK.FF.W.0016.000000T0000Z-120509T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
STOKES NC-SURRY NC-PATRICK VA-
246 AM EDT WED MAY 9 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR STOKES...EASTERN SURRY AND
SOUTHERN PATRICK COUNTIES...

RIVER GAGES ALONG THE ARARAT RIVER SHOWED THE RIVER LEVEL WAS 
FALLING QUICKLY. 

CREEKS AND STREAMS WERE RECEDING THUS THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 3626 8054 3628 8054 3628 8058 3628 8059
      3655 8058 3677 8010 3674 8010 3674 8008
      3672 8010 3666 8006 3655 8005 3654 8002
      3626 8004

$$

AMS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 8, 10:11 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Henry, Patrick	49 min
May 9, 1:24 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Henry, City of Martinsville	66 min
May 9, 1:58 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	City of Danville	47 min
May 8, 8:35 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	RNK	Rockingham, Stokes	3 hr
May 9, 12:52 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Stokes, Surry, Yadkin	53 min
May 9, 2:40 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Caswell	65 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 2012 Flash Flood Warnings in 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.