Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 15, NWS Tucson, AZ

July 16, 2012Cochise County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 16, 2012, 9:22 PM MST for Cochise County, Arizona. 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
Jul 16, 2012, 9:22 PM MST (04:22 UTC)
Expired
Jul 17, 2012, 12:15 AM MST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Cochise County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 58 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:22 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 16, 9:34 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD1 N Hereford, AZCONSIDERABLE FLOODING OCCURRING WHERE MILLER CANYON CROSSES MOSON ROAD.
Jul 16, 10:00 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD5 S Sierra Vista, AZSWIFT WATER RESCUE ON RAMSEY ROAD AFTER COUPLE WAS STUCK IN VEHICLE.

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, 4.4 hours before the alert went out and 97 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 2012-07-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 646 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 2012-07-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -8 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
646 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-37 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2318 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
52 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.

898 
WGUS55 KTWC 170422
FFWTWC
AZC003-170715-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0015.120717T0422Z-120717T0715Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
922 PM MST MON JUL 16 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN COCHISE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 1215 AM MST

* AT 830 PM MST...A TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTED FLASH FLOODING 
WAS OCCURRING IN ASH CANYON WITHIN THE MONUMENT FIRE BURN AREA IN 
SOUTHWEST COCHISE   COUNTY. 

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR ESTIMATED THAT THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL HAS       
OCCURED OVER RAMSEY...MILLER....ASH AND STUMP CREEK CANYONS. 

ADDITIONAL CANYONS IN THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS COULD EXPERIENCE A      
RISE IN WATERS AS THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS WEST OF THE HUACHUCAS     
WILL LIKELY MOVE OVER THE REGION WITHIN THE HOUR.

SOME RAINFALL TOTALS FROM AROUND THE REGION INCLUDE 2.56 INCHES      
AT MILLER CANYON...1.48 INCHES AT CARR CANYON...1.36 INCHES AT       
RAMSEY CANYON AND ASH CANYON HAD 1.79 INCHES. A TRAINED WEATHER      
SPOTTER IN ASH CANYON ALSO REPORTED 1.23 INCHES OF RAIN. 

ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE WITH RUNOFF OCCURRING    
INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON TUESDAY. 

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.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF WASHES
AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF
CREEKS AND STREAMS.

A SHORT PERIOD OF MODERATE RAINFALL ON A BURNED WATERSHED CAN LEAD TO
FLASH FLOODS. SEEK HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY...BUT IF IT IS UNSAFE TO
EVACUATE DUE TO FLASH FLOODING...HEAVY RAIN...OR POOR VISIBILITY THE
BEST ACTION MAY BE TO SHELTER IN PLACE IN A STURDY STRUCTURE. THE
FORCE OF RUSHING WATER AND DEBRIS CAN DAMAGE OR DESTROY CULVERTS...
BRIDGES...ROADWAYS...AND BUILDINGS. REMEMBER NEVER TO DRIVE THROUGH
RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER...YOU MAY BE SWEPT AWAY.

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 3148 11046 3154 11015 3134 11016 3134 11046

$$

MOLLERE
1 follow-up statement
612 
WGUS75 KTWC 170708
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
1208 AM MST TUE JUL 17 2012

AZC003-170715-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0015.000000T0000Z-120717T0715Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
1208 AM MST TUE JUL 17 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 1215 AM MST FOR 
SOUTHWESTERN COCHISE COUNTY...

RAINFALL HAS GENERALLY ENDED OVER THE REGION DURING THE PAST COUPLE 
OF HOURS. THUS...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. 
SOME STREAMS MAY STILL EXPERIENCE INCREASED RUNOFF THE NEXT FEW 
HOURS...THUS CAUTION IS STILL ADVISED.

LAT...LON 3148 11046 3154 11015 3134 11016 3134 11046

$$

GL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 16, 7:07 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise83 min
Jul 16, 7:19 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise116 min
Jul 16, 7:54 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima51 min
Jul 16, 8:09 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima111 min
Jul 17, 2:05 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise, Santa Cruz55 min
Jul 17, 3:51 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise3 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.