Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 36, NWS Tucson, AZ

August 19, 2012Pima County, Pinal County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 19, 2012, 8:47 PM MST for Pima County, Pinal County, Arizona. It was in force for 103 min. 1 report 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
Aug 19, 2012, 8:47 PM MST (03:47 UTC)
Expired
Aug 19, 2012, 10:30 PM MST
In force
103 min
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), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:49 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
Aug 19, 10:19 PM MSTFLASH FLOODSe Tucson, AZUNDERPASS AT 6TH AND STONE FLOODED AND BARRICADED

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

The nearest sounding before it

Tuscon, AZ (KDMA), launched 00:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 16 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 2012-08-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 309 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 2012-08-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -10 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
309 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2678 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
5 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
16 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.

558 
WGUS55 KTWC 200347
FFWTWC
AZC019-021-200530-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0036.120820T0347Z-120820T0530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
847 PM MST SUN AUG 19 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...
  EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PINAL COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 1030 PM MST

* AT 831 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  THAT VERY HEAVY RAIN HAS FALLEN DURING THE PAST HOUR OR SO.        
  WIDESPREAD REPORTS FROM EITHER AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGES OR TRAINED    
  WEATHER SPOTTERS HAVE RANGED FROM A FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH TO       
  AROUND A HALF INCH. HOWEVER...THERE WERE ALSO MANY REPORTS OF      
  HEAVY RAIN WITH ONE SPOTTER REPORTING 1.35 INCHES OF RAIN IN ABOUT 
  20 MINUTES AND ANOTHER OF JUST OVER 1 INCH IN 30 MINUTES. SOME OF  
  THE AUTOMATED GAUGES THROUGHOUT PIMA COUNTY ALSO HAVE RECEIVED     
  HEAVY RAIN. FOR EXAMPLE ATOP THE SANTA CATALINAS AT THE PALISADE   
  RANGER STATION THE GAUGE REPORTED 1.54 INCHES IN THE PAST 2        
  HOURS. THE CITY OF TUCSON REPORTED THAT SEVERAL VEHICLES WERE      
  STUCK IN HIGH WATER IN THE MIDTOWN AREA. NEEDLESS TO SAY...FLASH   
  FLOODING IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF HOURS EVEN    
  THOUGH THE RAIN IS TAPERING OFF AS THE STORMS MOVE SOUTHWEST AND   
  WEST.     

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SABINO     
  CANYON...REDINGTON...MOUNT LEMMON/SUMMERHAVEN...DOVE   MOUNTAIN... 
  CATALINA STATE PARK...CATALINA FOOTHILLS AND CATALINA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

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 3250 11124 3252 11046 3199 11046 3208 11109

$$

MOLLERE
2 follow-up statements
837 
WGUS75 KTWC 200445
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
945 PM MST SUN AUG 19 2012

AZC019-021-200530-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0036.000000T0000Z-120820T0530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PIMA AZ-PINAL AZ-
945 PM MST SUN AUG 19 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM MST FOR
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PINAL AND NORTHEASTERN PIMA COUNTIES...

AT 936 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THAT THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED WEST TOWARDS THE 
TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION. EVEN THOUGH THE RAIN HAS MOVED OUT OF THE 
AREA...RUNOFF FROM THE VERY HEAVY RAIN THAT OCCURED EARLIER THIS 
EVENING WILL CONTINUE TO RESULT IN RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER IN WASHES 
ALONG WITH PONDING OF WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE 
AWARE OF WATER CROSSING ROADWAYS AND NEVER ATTEMPT TO CROSS A 
ROADWAY COVERED WITH WATER OR TO DRIVE AROUND BARRICADES TO CROSS A 
WASH.  

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

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 3250 11124 3252 11046 3199 11046 3208 11109

$$

MOLLERE
793 
WGUS75 KTWC 200521
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
1021 PM MST SUN AUG 19 2012

AZC019-021-200531-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0036.000000T0000Z-120820T0530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PIMA AZ-PINAL AZ-
1021 PM MST SUN AUG 19 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 1030 PM MST FOR EXTREME
SOUTHEASTERN PINAL AND NORTHEASTERN PIMA COUNTIES...

LAT...LON 3250 11124 3252 11046 3199 11046 3208 11109

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 19, 5:05 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise85 min
Aug 19, 5:11 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCCochise49 min
Aug 19, 5:13 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise47 min
Aug 19, 5:31 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise59 min
Aug 19, 5:59 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise91 min
Aug 19, 6:19 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCGraham, Pinal86 min
Aug 19, 6:37 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCGraham, Pinal23 min
Aug 19, 7:01 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC44 min
Aug 19, 7:11 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima, Pinal49 min
Aug 19, 7:19 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal86 min
Aug 19, 7:56 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima49 min
Aug 19, 8:58 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima2 hr
Aug 19, 9:25 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima, Pinal2 hr
Aug 19, 10:56 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima64 min
Aug 20, 4:45 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima, Santa Cruz79 min

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.