Alert archive / Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 47, NWS Blacksburg, VA

August 8, 2012Buckingham County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 8, 2012, 3:38 PM EDT for Buckingham County, Virginia. It was in force for 4 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 8, 2012, 3:38 PM EDT (19:38 UTC)
Expired
Aug 8, 2012, 8:03 PM EDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Buckingham County, VA

The radar

The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 140 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:42 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

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 112 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 12:00Z on 2012-08-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1213 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2012-08-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -21 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1213 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-33 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
858 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
6 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
31 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.

501 
WGUS51 KRNK 081938
FFWRNK
VAC029-090145-
/O.NEW.KRNK.FF.W.0047.120808T1938Z-120809T0145Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
338 PM EDT WED AUG 8 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN BUCKINGHAM COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 945 PM EDT.

* AT 337 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WARNED AREA. TWO TO   
  THREE INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN ABOUT AN HOUR AND ANOTHER 1 TO  
  3 INCHES IS POSSIBLE. 

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO NEW CANTON
  AND GOLD HILL.

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.

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 3744 7838 3761 7860 3775 7841 3774 7836
      3772 7835 3772 7829 3769 7824 3764 7824

$$
2 follow-up statements
240 
WGUS71 KRNK 082000
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
400 PM EDT WED AUG 8 2012

VAC029-090145-
/O.CON.KRNK.FF.W.0047.000000T0000Z-120809T0145Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BUCKINGHAM VA-
400 PM EDT WED AUG 8 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 945 PM EDT FOR
EASTERN BUCKINGHAM COUNTY...

AT 354 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING OVER THE WARNED
AREA.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO NEW CANTON. 
ABOUT 3 AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN A FEW HOURS NEAR 
BEAR GARDEN AND RANDOLPH CREEK. STATE ROUTE 717 HAS FLOODED IN THE 
PAST NEAR THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY BORDER. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA.

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.

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 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 3744 7838 3761 7860 3775 7841 3774 7836
      3772 7835 3772 7829 3769 7824 3764 7824

$$
940 
WGUS71 KRNK 090003
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
803 PM EDT WED AUG 8 2012

VAC029-090013-
/O.CAN.KRNK.FF.W.0047.000000T0000Z-120809T0145Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BUCKINGHAM VA-
803 PM EDT WED AUG 8 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR EASTERN BUCKINGHAM
COUNTY...

FLOODING HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA...THUS THE FLASH FLOOD
WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 3744 7838 3761 7860 3775 7841 3774 7836
      3772 7835 3772 7829 3769 7824 3764 7824

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 7, 9:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKWythe28 min
Aug 7, 10:25 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKSmyth35 min
Aug 8, 1:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKHenry, Pittsylvania63 min
Aug 8, 2:31 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCharlotte29 min
Aug 8, 3:02 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCharlotte28 min
Aug 8, 3:05 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBuckingham25 min
Aug 8, 3:08 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryRNKCharlotte27 min
Aug 8, 3:16 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryRNKBuckingham62 min
Aug 8, 3:28 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKCharlotte4 hr
Aug 8, 3:36 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBuckingham54 min
Aug 8, 3:52 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKHalifax38 min
Aug 8, 4:18 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBuckingham42 min
Aug 8, 4:33 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKHalifax42 min
Aug 8, 6:08 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKFranklin37 min
Aug 8, 6:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKFranklin, Henry33 min
Aug 8, 7:10 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKFranklin35 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.