Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 11, NWS Tucson, AZ

July 15, 2012Pima County, Pinal County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 15, 2012, 5:00 PM MST for Pima County, Pinal County, Arizona. It was in force for 2 hr. 4 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
Jul 15, 2012, 5:00 PM MST (00:00 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 2012, 7:00 PM MST
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Pima County, AZ, Pinal County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 59 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:03 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
Jul 15, 5:30 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD4 Wnw Tucson Internatio, AZKGUN9 REPORTED ON THEIR WEB PAGE THAT THE TUCSON FIRE DEPT. RESPONDED TO A RESCUE AT MISSION ROAD AND OAK TREE WHERE THERE WAS A CAR STUCK IN A FLOODED AREA. NO WORD YET ON CONDITION ON THOSE STUCK IN VEHICLE.
Jul 15, 5:35 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD13 N Tucson, AZSWIFT WATER RESCUE
Jul 15, 5:36 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD4 Wnw Tucson Internatio, AZKGUN9 REPORTED ON THEIR WEB PAGE THAT THE TUCSON FIRE DEPT. RESPONDED TO A RESCUE AT MISSION ROAD AND OAK TREE WHERE THERE WAS A CAR STUCK IN A FLOODED AREA. NO WORD YET ON CONDITION ON THOSE STUCK IN VEHICLE.
Jul 15, 6:15 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD7 Nw Tucson, AZKGUN9 REPORTED ON THEIR WEB PAGE THAT NORTHWEST FIRE RESPONDED TO A WOMEN STRANDED IN HER VEHICLE BECAUSE OF HIGH WATERS NEAR INTERSTATE 10 AND EL CAMINO DEL CERRO.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 00:00Z, 0.0 hours before the alert went out and 23 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, Tuscon, AZ at 00:00Z on 2012-07-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 880 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, Tuscon, AZ at 00:00Z on 2012-07-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -13 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
880 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-23 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2268 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-13 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.

872 
WGUS55 KTWC 160000
FFWTWC
AZC019-021-160200-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0011.120716T0000Z-120716T0200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
500 PM MST SUN JUL 15 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN PIMA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...TUCSON...ORO VALLEY...MARANA...
  SOUTHEASTERN PINAL COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 700 PM MST

* AT 455 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER THE WARNED AREA.
  STORMS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE TUCSON METRO AREA THROUGH AT
  LEAST 6 PM WITH EXCESSIVE RUNOFF PERSISTING INTO EARLY EVENING.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE 
  ENTIRE TUCSON METRO AREA FROM VAIL AND SAHUARITA NORTHWARD
  TO ORACLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF WASHES
AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES AS
WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3267 11114 3264 11046 3198 11045 3191 11123

$$

KD
1 follow-up statement
741 
WGUS75 KTWC 160051
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
551 PM MST SUN JUL 15 2012

AZC019-021-160200-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0011.000000T0000Z-120716T0200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PIMA AZ-PINAL AZ-
551 PM MST SUN JUL 15 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM MST FOR
SOUTHEASTERN PINAL AND NORTHEASTERN PIMA COUNTIES...

AT 541 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER THE WARNED
AREA.  THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS OCCURRING FROM THE WEST SIDE OF 
TUCSON EASTWARD TO THE CATALINA FOOTHILLS TO SUMMERHAVEN TO 
NORTH OF REDINGTON AND SAN MANUEL.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE TUCSON
METRO AREA FROM SAHUARITA TO ORACLE AS RUNOFF FROM EARLIER STORMS
COMBINES WITH THAT FROM ONGOING HEAVY RAIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3267 11114 3264 11046 3198 11045 3191 11123

$$

KD

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tucson, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 6:11 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPinal67 min
Jul 15, 6:13 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCGraham, Pinal32 min
Jul 15, 6:17 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise, Pima, Santa Cruz3 hr
Jul 15, 6:51 PM MSTAreal Flood WarningTWCPima12 hr
Jul 15, 7:02 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal118 min
Jul 15, 7:11 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCGraham, Greenlee, Pinal3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 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.