Alert archive / West Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Blacksburg, VA

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

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flash flood warning at Mar 21, 2012, 7:25 PM EDT for Greenbrier County, Monroe County, West 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
Mar 21, 2012, 7:25 PM EDT (23:25 UTC)
Expired
Mar 21, 2012, 11:37 PM EDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Greenbrier County, WV, Monroe County, WV

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:25 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, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 115 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.

110 
WGUS51 KRNK 212325
FFWRNK
WVC025-063-220515-
/O.NEW.KRNK.FF.W.0007.120321T2325Z-120322T0515Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL MONROE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA
  SOUTHWESTERN GREENBRIER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 115 AM EDT.

* AT 716 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WARNED AREA. A 
THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHWEST THROUGH NORTHERN MONROE COUNTY 
ACROSS AN AREA THAT RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL LATE WEDNESDAY 
AFTERNOON. RAINFALL FROM THIS STORM MAY PROMPT FLASH FLOODING ALONG 
WOLF CREEK. WOLF CREEK EMPTIES INTO THE GREENBRIER RIVER NEAR 
GLENRAY AND THE PASSES NEAR ALDERSON. 

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WOLF 
CREEK AND ALDERSON.

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 3778 8061 3771 8058 3763 8056 3763 8064
      3769 8068 3770 8068 3771 8066 3774 8067

$$

DS
2 follow-up statements
884 
WGUS71 KRNK 220030
FFSRNK

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

WVC025-063-220515-
/O.CON.KRNK.FF.W.0007.000000T0000Z-120322T0515Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MONROE WV-GREENBRIER WV-
830 PM EDT WED MAR 21 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 AM EDT FOR
NORTHERN MONROE AND SOUTHWESTERN GREENBRIER COUNTIES...

AT 825 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THE 
HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING STORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED TO 
LIGHT RAIN. HOWEVER...FLASH FLOODING IS STILL EXPECTED ALONG WOLF 
CREEK AS RUNOFF FROM THE EARLIER STORM DRAINS INTO WOLF CREEK. 
EVENTUALLY THIS WATER WILL DRAIN INTO THE GREENBRIER RIVER AND PASS 
NEAR ALDERSON. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ALDERSON

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 3778 8061 3771 8058 3763 8056 3763 8064
      3769 8068 3770 8068 3771 8066 3774 8067

$$

DS
729 
WGUS71 KRNK 220337
FFSRNK

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1137 PM EDT WED MAR 21 2012

WVC025-063-220340-
/O.CAN.KRNK.FF.W.0007.000000T0000Z-120322T0515Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MONROE WV-GREENBRIER WV-
1137 PM EDT WED MAR 21 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR NORTHERN MONROE AND
SOUTHWESTERN GREENBRIER COUNTIES...

FLASH FLOODING HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA...THUS THE FLASH FLOOD 
WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. LOCAL RESIDENTS IN ALDERSON WEST 
VIRGINIA REPORTED THAT PONDING OF WATER CONTINUES ON SOME OF THE 
STREETS...BUT THAT THE HEAVY RAIN HAD ENDED. 

ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY WARNING POINT IN GREENBRIER COUNTY...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 IN GREENBRIER COUNTY...AND BETWEEN ALDERSON AND 
WOLF CREEK IN MONROE COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA.  HIGHWAYS...ESPECIALLY 
THE GRAVEL ROADS...IN THESE AREAS MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY RUNOFF 
FROM THIS EXTREME RAINFALL. PLEASE USE EXTRA CAUTION IF TRAVELING IN 
THIS PART OF WEST VIRGINIA OVERNIGHT.



LAT...LON 3778 8061 3771 8058 3763 8056 3763 8064
      3769 8068 3770 8068 3771 8066 3774 8067

$$

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, 6:57 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKGreenbrier, Summers5 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.