Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 29, NWS Blacksburg, VA

May 22, 2012Mercer County, West Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flash flood warning at May 22, 2012, 4:51 PM EDT for Mercer County, West Virginia. It was in force for 3 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 22, 2012, 4:51 PM EDT (20:51 UTC)
Expired: May 22, 2012, 7:45 PM EDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

County Mercer County, WV

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:52 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 22, 5:00 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	6 Nne Bluefield, WV	SANDLICK ROAD CLOSED IN GLENWOOD. WATER OVER ROAD AND MUDSLIDES REPORTED.
May 22, 6:00 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	6 Nne Bluefield, WV	SANDLICK ROAD CLOSED DUE TO WATER OVER ROAD AND MUDSLIDES.

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, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 148 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: 166 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -84 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 872 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 15 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 35 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.

548 
WGUS51 KRNK 222051
FFWRNK
WVC055-222345-
/O.NEW.KRNK.FF.W.0029.120522T2051Z-120522T2345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
451 PM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN MERCER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 745 PM EDT.

* AT 447 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WARNED AREA. 
THUNDERSTORMS
  EXTENDED FROM DUNN...TO SPANISHBURG...TO BLUEFIELD...WITH VERY 
  LITTLE MOVEMENT INDICATED. THESE AREAS HAVE ALREADY SEEN 2.0 OR 
MORE
  INCHES OF RAIN IN THE LAST 1 TO 2 HOURS...AND ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN
  IS LIKELY.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO CAMP CREEK
  STATE PARK...SPANISHBURG...KEGLEY...FLAT TOP...DUNNS AND CAMP
  CREEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1.0 TO 2.0 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA.

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.

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.

IN HILLY TERRAIN THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS WHICH ARE
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN HEAVY RAIN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL ACROSS
FLOODED ROADS. FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES. IT TAKES ONLY A FEW INCHES OF
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

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 3760 8112 3752 8100 3728 8110 3725 8120
      3726 8127 3729 8130

$$

RAB

2 follow-up statements

604 
WGUS71 KRNK 222224
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
624 PM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012

WVC055-222345-
/O.CON.KRNK.FF.W.0029.000000T0000Z-120522T2345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MERCER WV-
624 PM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM EDT FOR
WESTERN MERCER COUNTY...

AT 621 PM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLOODING IN 
THE BLUEFIELD AREA AND AREAS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE NORTH IN 
SOUTHERN MERCER COUNTY.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
PRINCETON...SPANISHBURG...BLUEFIELD...AND KEGLEY.

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.

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.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3746 8120 3749 8102 3728 8110 3725 8120
      3726 8127 3729 8130

$$



RAB

830 
WGUS71 KRNK 222348
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
748 PM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012

WVC055-222355-
/O.EXP.KRNK.FF.W.0029.000000T0000Z-120522T2345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MERCER WV-
748 PM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR WESTERN MERCER COUNTY...

THE HEAVY RAINFALL AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT PROMPTED THE FLASH FLOOD 
WARNING FOR MERCER COUNTY HAVE ENDED. LIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE 
ACROSS THE COUNTY FOR A WHILE...BUT HEAVY FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING 
RAINFALL IS NO LONGER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

CREEKS AND STREAMS ACROSS THE COUNTY WERE BEGINNING TO RECEDING FROM 
THE EARLIER HEAVY RAINFALL. THUS THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE 
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 3746 8120 3749 8102 3728 8110 3725 8120
      3726 8127 3729 8130

$$

RB

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 22, 3:27 AM EDT	Flash Flood Watch	RNK	Mercer, Monroe, Summers	18 hr
May 22, 1:28 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Summers	47 min
May 22, 3:10 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Monroe	65 min
May 22, 3:50 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Mercer	55 min
May 22, 4:33 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	RNK	Mercer	117 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.