Alert archive / Nevada / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 213, NWS Las Vegas, NV

October 11, 2012Clark County, Nevada; Mohave County, Arizona; San Bernardino County, California

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this flash flood warning at Oct 11, 2012, 8:39 AM PDT for Clark County, Nevada; Mohave County, Arizona; San Bernardino County, California. It was in force for 111 min. 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
Oct 11, 2012, 8:39 AM PDT (15:39 UTC)
Expired
Oct 11, 2012, 10:30 AM PDT
In force
111 min
Issued by
NWS Las Vegas, NV
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Mohave County, AZ, San Bernardino County, CA, Clark County, NV

The radar

The Las Vegas radar (KESX), 31 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:41 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
Oct 11, 8:52 AM PDTFLASH FLOOD4 Nne Bullhead City, AZTHE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE REPORTED SEVERAL ROCKS HAD WASHED ONTO KATHERINE SPUR ROAD.
Oct 11, 9:57 AM PDTFLASH FLOOD3 Sse Needles, CAHIGHWAY 95 WAS REPORTED CLOSED AT FIVE MILE ROAD DUE TO FLASH FLOODING.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Las Vegas, NV (KVEF), launched 12:00Z, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 126 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, Las Vegas, NV at 12:00Z on 2012-10-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 327 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, Las Vegas, NV at 12:00Z on 2012-10-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 146 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
327 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-89 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
958 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
146 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
316 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
3.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

519 
WGUS55 KVEF 111539
FFWVEF
AZC015-CAC071-NVC003-111730-
/O.NEW.KVEF.FF.W.0213.121011T1539Z-121011T1730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
839 AM MST THU OCT 11 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAS VEGAS HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL MOHAVE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARIZONA...
  EAST CENTRAL SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...
  SOUTH CENTRAL CLARK COUNTY IN SOUTHERN NEVADA...

* UNTIL 1030 AM MST/1030 AM PDT/.

* AT 835 AM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM A BAND OF HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS  
  11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COTTONWOOD COVE...OR 13 MILES NORTH OF       
  LAUGHLIN. THUNDERSTORMS WITHIN THIS BAND WERE MOVING NORTH AT 20   
  TO 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  COTTONWOOD COVE AND COTTONWOOD COVE CAMPGROUND...WILLOW BEACH...
  LAUGHLIN...BULLHEAD CITY...MOHAVE VALLEY AND NEEDLES.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 40 IN CALIFORNIA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 139
AND 150.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED IN WASHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND ON
AREA ROADWAYS. FLASH FLOODING IS NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLER. TO ESCAPE
RISING WATER...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOODED
ROADWAY OR WALK THROUGH FLOODWATERS. TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN!

REPORT FLOODING BY POSTING YOUR REPORT TO THE LAS VEGAS NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE FACEBOOK PAGE...OR BY USING THE TWITTER HASHTAG...
NWSVEGAS.

&&

LAT...LON 3599 11481 3606 11453 3473 11443 3477 11465

$$

STACHELSKI
2 follow-up statements
496 
WGUS75 KVEF 111628
FFSVEF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
928 AM MST THU OCT 11 2012

AZC015-CAC071-NVC003-111730-
/O.CON.KVEF.FF.W.0213.000000T0000Z-121011T1730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MOHAVE AZ-SAN BERNARDINO CA-CLARK NV-
928 AM MST THU OCT 11 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 AM MST/1030 AM
PDT/ FOR SOUTH CENTRAL CLARK...EAST CENTRAL SAN BERNARDINO AND WEST
CENTRAL MOHAVE COUNTIES...

AT 920 AM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTH AT 15 TO 25 MPH IN THE 
COLORADO RIVER VALLEY FROM WILLOW BEACH TO TOPOCK. HEAVY DOWNPOURS 
FROM ANY STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING OVER A 
HALF AN INCH OF RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAT WILL RESULT IN 
FLASH FLOODING ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AREAS AS WELL AS RAPID FLOWS 
IN WASHES. THE BULLHEAD CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THAT THE 
INTERSECTION OF DESERT FOOTHILLS BOULEVARD AND BULLHEAD CITY PARKWAY 
WAS SUBMERGED AT 852 AM MST. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
COTTONWOOD COVE AND COTTONWOOD COVE CAMPGROUND...WILLOW BEACH...  
LAUGHLIN...BULLHEAD CITY...MOHAVE VALLEY AND NEEDLES.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 40 IN CALIFORNIA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 140
AND 149.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED IN WASHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND ON
AREA ROADWAYS. FLASH FLOODING IS NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLER. TO ESCAPE
RISING WATER...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOODED
ROADWAY OR WALK THROUGH FLOODWATERS. TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN!

REPORT FLOODING BY POSTING YOUR REPORT TO THE LAS VEGAS NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE FACEBOOK PAGE...OR BY USING THE TWITTER HASHTAG...
NWSVEGAS.

&&

LAT...LON 3599 11481 3606 11453 3473 11443 3477 11465

$$

STACHELSKI
281 
WGUS75 KVEF 111730
FFSVEF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1030 AM MST THU OCT 11 2012

AZC015-CAC071-NVC003-111739-
/O.EXP.KVEF.FF.W.0213.000000T0000Z-121011T1730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MOHAVE AZ-SAN BERNARDINO CA-CLARK NV-
1030 AM MST THU OCT 11 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 1030 AM MST/1030 AM PDT/
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL CLARK...EAST CENTRAL SAN BERNARDINO AND WEST
CENTRAL MOHAVE COUNTIES...

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 40 IN CALIFORNIA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 140
AND 149.

ALTHOUGH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATES RAIN CONTINUES TO 
MOVE NORTH ACROSS THE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY...THE INTENSITY OF THE 
RAIN HAS GENERALLY LESSENED IN THE LAST 30 MINUTES. THEREFORE THE 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THIS AREA WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. DRIVERS 
SHOULD STILL BE ALERT FOR SLICK ROADS AND WATER LINGERING IN LOW 
SPOTS AS WELL AS ANY DEBRIS THAT HAVE MAY NOT BEEN CLEARED FROM 
EARLIER. 

LAT...LON 3599 11481 3606 11453 3473 11443 3477 11465

$$

STACHELSKI

The office that day

Everything else NWS Las Vegas, NV issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 11, 1:39 AM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryVEFClark81 min
Oct 11, 8:22 AM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryVEFClark7 hr
Oct 11, 11:48 AM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryVEFClark2 hr
Oct 11, 1:51 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFClark24 min
Oct 11, 2:53 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningVEFClark39 min
Oct 11, 4:18 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFClark27 min
Oct 11, 4:53 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningVEFClark112 min
Oct 11, 4:07 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFMohave23 min
Oct 11, 4:25 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFMohave19 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Nevada, 2012Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 2012Flash Flood Warnings in California, 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.