Alert archive / Massachusetts / Flash Flood Warnings in 2013

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

June 18, 2013Worcester County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 18, 2013, 2:17 PM EDT for Worcester County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 3 hr. 5 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: Jun 18, 2013, 2:17 PM EDT (18:17 UTC)
Expired: Jun 18, 2013, 5:15 PM EDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

County Worcester County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:20 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jun 18, 2:25 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	Worcester, MA	WASH OUT ON MAPLE AVE WITH WATER FLOWING INTO A BUILDING
Jun 18, 2:29 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	Leicester, MA	GRINDSTONE RIVER OUT OF BANKS FLOWING OVER PETER SALEM ROAD
Jun 18, 2:40 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	Worcester, MA	EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTING SEVERAL ROADS IN WORCESTER CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING
Jun 18, 2:42 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	Worcester, MA	8 INCHES OF WATER IN GARAGE ON CHESTNUT AVE
Jun 18, 3:12 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	Worcester, MA	FLOODING FROM CENTRAL STREET CAUSING FLOODING IN CITY HALL

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

The nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 12:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 166 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 21 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -153 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1306 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 94 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.

967 
WGUS51 KBOX 181817
FFWBOX
MAC027-182115-
/O.NEW.KBOX.FF.W.0007.130618T1817Z-130618T2115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
217 PM EDT TUE JUN 18 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...

* UNTIL 515 PM EDT

* AT 211 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING
  HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA.  FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO
  BEGIN SHORTLY.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  WORCESTER...WEST BOYLSTON...AUBURN...CHARLTON...BOYLSTON...
  BERLIN...NORTHBOROUGH...SHREWSBURY...SPENCER...WESTBOROUGH...
  OAKHAM...NORTH BROOKFIELD...GRAFTON...PAXTON...RUTLAND...
  STURBRIDGE...BROOKFIELD...EAST BROOKFIELD...LEICESTER AND HOLDEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED FOR RAPID AND POTENTIALLY LIFE
THREATENING FLOODING. IN URBAN AREAS AVOID FLOODED ROADWAYS AND OBEY
ROAD CLOSURES. THOSE LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD MOVE TO
HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.
&&

LAT...LON 4236 7213 4241 7160 4237 7160 4235 7162
      4234 7161 4233 7160 4219 7160 4208 7213

$$

DUNTEN

3 follow-up statements

096 
WGUS71 KBOX 181831
FFSBOX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
231 PM EDT TUE JUN 18 2013

MAC027-182115-
/O.CON.KBOX.FF.W.0007.000000T0000Z-130618T2115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WORCESTER MA-
231 PM EDT TUE JUN 18 2013

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM EDT FOR
CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY...

AT 229 PM EDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED THUNDERSTORMS 
PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN IN SHREWSBURY WITH 1.25 INCHES WITHIN 30 
MINUTES. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
WORCESTER...WEST BOYLSTON...AUBURN...CHARLTON...BOYLSTON...BERLIN...
NORTHBOROUGH...SHREWSBURY...SPENCER...WESTBOROUGH...OAKHAM...NORTH
BROOKFIELD...GRAFTON...PAXTON...RUTLAND...STURBRIDGE...BROOKFIELD...
EAST BROOKFIELD...LEICESTER AND HOLDEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF(TRUE)
HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE RAPID FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS...STREETS
AND UNDERPASSES...INCLUDING LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. DO NOT
DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADS.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADS. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE
FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE
ROAD. TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

&&

LAT...LON 4236 7213 4241 7160 4237 7160 4235 7162
      4234 7161 4233 7160 4219 7160 4208 7213

$$

DUNTEN

584 
WGUS71 KBOX 181958
FFSBOX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
358 PM EDT TUE JUN 18 2013

MAC027-182115-
/O.CON.KBOX.FF.W.0007.000000T0000Z-130618T2115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WORCESTER MA-
358 PM EDT TUE JUN 18 2013

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM EDT FOR
CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY...

AT 353 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED HEAVY 
RAIN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. REPORTS OF SEVERAL ROADS IN WORCESTER 
ARE CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING. 

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
WORCESTER...WEST BOYLSTON...AUBURN...CHARLTON...BOYLSTON...BERLIN...
NORTHBOROUGH...SHREWSBURY...SPENCER...WESTBOROUGH...OAKHAM...NORTH
BROOKFIELD...GRAFTON...PAXTON...RUTLAND...STURBRIDGE...BROOKFIELD...
EAST BROOKFIELD...LEICESTER AND HOLDEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE RAPID FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS...STREETS
AND UNDERPASSES...INCLUDING LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. DO NOT
DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADS.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADS. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE
FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE
ROAD. TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

&&

LAT...LON 4236 7213 4241 7160 4237 7160 4235 7162
      4234 7161 4233 7160 4219 7160 4208 7213

$$

DUNTEN

481 
WGUS71 KBOX 182108
FFSBOX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
508 PM EDT TUE JUN 18 2013

MAC027-182117-
/O.EXP.KBOX.FF.W.0007.000000T0000Z-130618T2115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WORCESTER MA-
508 PM EDT TUE JUN 18 2013

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 515 PM EDT...

FLOOD WATERS HAVE RECEDED...AND ARE NO LONGER EXPECTED TO POSE A
THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HEED ANY ROAD
CLOSURES.

LAT...LON 4236 7213 4241 7160 4237 7160 4235 7162
      4234 7161 4233 7160 4219 7160 4208 7213

LAT...LON 4236 7213 4241 7160 4237 7160 4235 7162
      4234 7161 4233 7160 4219 7160 4208 7213

$$

DUNTEN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 18, 12:53 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Worcester	82 min
Jun 18, 1:23 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Worcester	52 min
Jun 18, 1:44 PM EDT	Areal Flood Warning	BOX	Middlesex, Worcester	3 hr
Jun 18, 1:47 PM EDT	Flash Flood Watch	BOX	Bristol, Hampden, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester	7 hr
Jun 18, 1:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Worcester	58 min
Jun 18, 1:55 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Hampden	50 min
Jun 18, 2:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Hampden	60 min
Jun 18, 2:46 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOX	Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester	3 hr
Jun 18, 2:58 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Norfolk, Worcester	47 min
Jun 18, 3:43 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOX	Norfolk, Worcester	3 hr
Jun 18, 4:16 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Norfolk	44 min
Jun 18, 4:58 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Bristol	62 min
Jun 18, 5:23 PM EDT	Small Craft Advisory	BOX		18 hr
Jun 18, 6:45 PM EDT	River Flood Warning	BOX	Middlesex	8 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Massachusetts, 2013 Every flash flood warning in 2013

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.