Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS Blacksburg, VA

March 21, 2012Greenbrier County, Summers County, West Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flash flood warning at Mar 21, 2012, 6:57 PM EDT for Greenbrier County, Summers County, West Virginia. It was in force for 5 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
Mar 21, 2012, 6:57 PM EDT (22:57 UTC)
Expired
Mar 21, 2012, 11:29 PM EDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Greenbrier County, WV, Summers County, WV

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:59 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
Mar 21, 8:00 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD2 Se Grassy Meadows, WVLANDSLIDE ONTO SNAKE RUN ROAD. COVERED 4FT SECTION OF HIGHWAY...ROAD STILL PASSIBLE.
Mar 21, 8:00 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD3 S Hickory Grove, WVSHAW MOUNTAIN ROAD COMPLETELY WASHED OUT GOING UP THE MOUNTAIN. CULVERT PIPE WASHED AWAY WITH 6 FOOT DROP IN HIGHWAY. ROAD IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
Mar 21, 9:00 PM EDTFLASH FLOODBlue Sulphur Springs, WVFLOODING ALONG SNAKE RUN. ROAD CLOSED FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

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, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 119 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 2012-03-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 197 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 2012-03-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 21 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
197 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-107 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
743 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
33 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.

455 
WGUS51 KRNK 212257
FFWRNK
WVC025-089-220445-
/O.NEW.KRNK.FF.W.0006.120321T2257Z-120322T0445Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
657 PM EDT WED MAR 21 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN GREENBRIER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA
  NORTHEASTERN SUMMERS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 1245 AM EDT.

* AT 647 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WARNED AREA. A 
CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS PARTS OF THE KITCHEN 
AND MUDDY CREEK AREAS BETWEEN ALDERSON AND MEADOW BLUFF. WE ARE 
EXPECTING RISES ALONG BOTH OF THESE CREEKS AND POTENTIAL FLASH 
FLOODING. AS THE WATER CONTINUES DOWNSTREAM...HIGH WATER ALONG MUDDY 
CREEK MAY REACH THE ALDERSON REGION DURING THE EVENING. 

* THE STORM PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF THE INDICATED COUNTY..

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.

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 3785 8054 3778 8062 3777 8061 3774 8062
      3773 8066 3771 8066 3770 8067 3775 8073
      3787 8068 3790 8058

$$

DS
2 follow-up statements
138 
WGUS71 KRNK 220027
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
827 PM EDT WED MAR 21 2012

WVC025-089-220445-
/O.CON.KRNK.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-120322T0445Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GREENBRIER WV-SUMMERS WV-
827 PM EDT WED MAR 21 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1245 AM EDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN GREENBRIER AND NORTHEASTERN SUMMERS COUNTIES...

AT 820 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER THE WARNED 
AREA. RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA HAS AVERAGED TWO TO ALMOST 
FOUR INCHES SINCE THE ONSET OF RAIN...WITH THE GREATEST 
CONCENTRATION OF RAIN ALONG MUDDY CREEK NEAR...AND UPSTREAM OF 
ALDERSON.

THIS THUNDERSTORM WITH EXCESSIVE RAIN WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER 
MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF THE INDICATED COUNTIES. THE WARNED AREA WILL 
TREND TOWARD LESS COVERAGE OF HEAVY RAIN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF 
HOURS...BUT THE CONCERN OF RUNOFF INTO STREAMS AND TRIBUTARIES MUDDY 
CREEK LEADING INTO ALDERSON WILL CONTINUE.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3785 8054 3778 8062 3777 8061 3774 8062
      3773 8066 3771 8066 3770 8067 3775 8073
      3787 8068 3790 8058

$$

DS
787 
WGUS71 KRNK 220329
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1129 PM EDT WED MAR 21 2012

WVC025-089-220330-
/O.CAN.KRNK.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-120322T0445Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GREENBRIER WV-SUMMERS WV-
1129 PM EDT WED MAR 21 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR SOUTHWESTERN
GREENBRIER AND NORTHEASTERN SUMMERS COUNTIES...

RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA...AND STREAM LEVELS ARE BEING
REPORTED AS RECEDING...THUS THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN 
CANCELLED. 

ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY WARNING POINT...ROADS THAT WERE TEMPORARILY 
CLOSED EARLIER IN THE EVENING HAVE BEEN REOPENED. IN SPITE OF THIS 
POSITIVE NEWS...MOTORISTS SHOULD STILL BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR DEBRIS 
THAT MAY REMAIN ON AREA HIGHWAYS.  RADAR ESTIMATED THAT BETWEEN 3 
AND 4 INCHES OF RAIN FELL BETWEEN ALDERSON AND MEADOW BLUFF WEST 
VIRGINIA.  HIGHWAYS...ESPECIALLY THE GRAVEL ROADS...IN THIS AREA MAY 
HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY RUNOFF FROM THIS EXTREME RAINFALL. PLEASE USE 
EXTRA CAUTION IF TRAVELING IN THIS PART OF GREENBRIER COUNTY.


LAT...LON 3785 8054 3778 8062 3777 8061 3774 8062
      3773 8066 3771 8066 3770 8067 3775 8073
      3787 8068 3790 8058

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 21, 5:24 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKMonroe36 min
Mar 21, 5:35 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKGreenbrier25 min
Mar 21, 6:04 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKGreenbrier26 min
Mar 21, 6:15 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKFayette30 min
Mar 21, 6:31 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKGreenbrier29 min
Mar 21, 7:25 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKGreenbrier, Monroe4 hr
Mar 21, 7:36 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKSummers24 min
Mar 21, 7:47 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKSummers28 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in West 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.