Alert archive / Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 20, NWS Blacksburg, VA

May 14, 2012Bedford County, Franklin County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flash flood warning at May 14, 2012, 8:41 PM EDT for Bedford County, Franklin County, Virginia. It was in force for 5 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
May 14, 2012, 8:41 PM EDT (00:41 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2012, 1:51 AM EDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Bedford County, VA, Franklin County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 58 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:43 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
May 14, 9:30 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD2 Ssw Moneta, VAAN UNNAMED STREAM CAME OUT OF ITS BANKS AND FLOODED SPINNAKER WAY AND HARBOUR TRAIL...LEAVING BEHIND DEBRIS ON THE ROADS. OVER 6 INCHES OF WATER FLOWED OVER THE ROADS. NUMEROUS DRIVEWAYS AND FRONT LAWNS WERE FLOODED.

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 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 15 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 2012-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 763 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 2012-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
763 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
537 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
91 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

830 
WGUS51 KRNK 150041
FFWRNK
VAC019-067-150645-
/O.NEW.KRNK.FF.W.0020.120515T0041Z-120515T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
841 PM EDT MON MAY 14 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  SOUTH CENTRAL BEDFORD COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 245 AM EDT TUESDAY.

* AT 839 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 MONETA AND
  HUDDLESTON.

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.

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 3703 7958 3704 7959 3698 7961 3702 7967
      3709 7961 3710 7964 3716 7968 3715 7970
      3719 7972 3720 7973 3728 7963 3714 7943

$$

DS
2 follow-up statements
102 
WGUS71 KRNK 150221
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1021 PM EDT MON MAY 14 2012

VAC019-067-150645-
/O.CON.KRNK.FF.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120515T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
FRANKLIN VA-BEDFORD VA-
1021 PM EDT MON MAY 14 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 245 AM EDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN FRANKLIN AND SOUTHERN BEDFORD COUNTIES...

AT 1017 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER THE WARNED 
AREA. THIS HAS RESULTED IN STANDING WATER ON MANY ROADWAYS WITH SOME 
ROADS REPORTED CLOSED. ADDITIONAL HEAVIER SHOWERS WILL MOVE ACROSS 
THE REGION THROUGH MIDNIGHT WHICH WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE ONGOING 
FLOODING PROBLEMS.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO MONETA AND 
HUDDLESTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

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.

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR
IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES...
DIPS...OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...
EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER
GROUND.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF FLOOD WATERS. ONLY A FEW INCHES OF
RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER CAN QUICKLY CARRY AWAY YOUR VEHICLE.

&&

LAT...LON 3703 7958 3704 7959 3698 7961 3702 7967
      3709 7961 3710 7964 3716 7968 3715 7970
      3719 7972 3720 7973 3728 7963 3714 7943

$$

JH
449 
WGUS71 KRNK 150551
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
151 AM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

VAC019-067-150558-
/O.CAN.KRNK.FF.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120515T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
FRANKLIN VA-BEDFORD VA-
151 AM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR NORTHEASTERN
FRANKLIN AND SOUTHERN BEDFORD COUNTIES...

THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING HAS ENDED IN THE WARNED AREA. HOWEVER 
AN AERIAL FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF FRANKLIN AND 
BEDFORD COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITY OF BEDFORD...THROUGH 800 AM 
EDT TUESDAY. WIDESPREAD VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 3 TO 5 INCHES FELL 
ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF FRANKLIN AND THE WESTERN TWO-THIRDS OF 
BEDFORD COUNTIES MONDAY EVENING...WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 7 
INCHES ACROSS NORTHERN FRANKLIN AND 8 TO 9 INCHES ACROSS NORTHERN 
BEDFORD COUNTIES.  SOME LOW-LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS WILL REMAIN 
FLOODED THROUGH THE NIGHT. SOME ROADS HAVE BEEN WASHED OUT AS WELL 
ACCORDING TO LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL.

BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL OF THE DANGERS OF FLOODING AT NIGHT. DO NOT 
DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. THE WATER 
DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT FOR YOU TO PROCEED SAFELY.

LAT...LON 3703 7958 3704 7959 3698 7961 3702 7967
      3709 7961 3710 7964 3716 7968 3715 7970
      3719 7972 3720 7973 3728 7963 3714 7943

$$

RAB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 14, 8:02 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBedford28 min
May 14, 8:55 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningRNKAmherst, Bedford, Rockbridge, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington6 hr
May 14, 9:10 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBland35 min
May 14, 9:16 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKBland, Giles4 hr
May 14, 9:23 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKAmherst, Bedford, Botetourt, Rockbridge, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington6 hr
May 15, 1:27 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryRNKBedford, Franklin6 hr
May 15, 1:39 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningRNKBedford, Franklin6 hr
May 15, 3:15 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningRNKBotetourt, Rockbridge, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington6 hr
May 15, 5:39 AM EDTFlash Flood WatchRNKAmherst, Bedford, Botetourt, Carroll, Floyd, Franklin and 8 more17 hr
May 15, 6:19 AM EDTDense Fog AdvisoryRNKBland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery and 6 more4 hr
May 15, 1:11 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCity of Galax64 min
May 15, 4:57 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKGrayson5 hr
May 15, 5:43 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKGrayson62 min
May 15, 5:47 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKWythe58 min
May 15, 6:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKPulaski, Wythe62 min
May 15, 6:56 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKBedford, Franklin6 hr
May 15, 6:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBedford, Campbell, Franklin, Pittsylvania63 min
May 15, 7:49 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKPulaski56 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Virginia, 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.