Alert archive / Delaware / Flash Flood Warnings in 2014

Flash Flood Warning 26, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

July 4, 2014Sussex County, Delaware

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this flash flood warning at Jul 4, 2014, 7:49 AM EDT for Sussex County, Delaware. 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 4, 2014, 7:49 AM EDT (11:49 UTC)
Expired: Jul 4, 2014, 10:45 AM EDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

County Sussex County, DE

The radar

The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 21 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:49 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 4, 10:49 AM EDT	HEAVY RAIN 3.01	Lewes, DE
Jul 4, 10:49 AM EDT	HEAVY RAIN 3.35	Laurel, DE

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

The nearest sounding before it

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 00:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 83 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: 1466 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -41 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 907 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 12 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.

450 
WGUS51 KPHI 041149
FFWPHI
DEC005-041445-
/O.NEW.KPHI.FF.W.0026.140704T1149Z-140704T1445Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
749 AM EDT FRI JUL 4 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY NJ HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SUSSEX COUNTY IN SOUTHERN DELAWARE...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN...

* UNTIL 1045 AM EDT

* AT 745 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  HEAVY RAIN PIVOTING ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. THIS HEAVY RAIN IS     
  ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE ARTHUR. SOME RAIN GAGE REPORTS AND       
  DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT 1.50 TO 2.30 INCHES OF RAIN  
  HAS ALREADY FALLEN FROM AROUND THE MILTON TO GEORGETOWN TO LAUREL  
  AREAS. THIS AMOUNT OF RAINFALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME CAN LEAD  
  TO AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SEAFORD...
  REHOBOTH BEACH...MILTON...LEWES...ELLENDALE AND CAPE HENLOPEN STATE
  PARK

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.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

&&

LAT...LON 3845 7567 3847 7570 3868 7571 3891 7530
      3880 7516 3879 7511 3881 7510 3881 7508
      3873 7506 3868 7511 3868 7512 3867 7512
      3845 7529

$$

GORSE

2 follow-up statements

658 
WGUS71 KPHI 041305
FFSPHI

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
905 AM EDT FRI JUL 4 2014

DEC005-041445-
/O.CON.KPHI.FF.W.0026.000000T0000Z-140704T1445Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SUSSEX DE-
905 AM EDT FRI JUL 4 2014

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1045 AM EDT FOR
SUSSEX COUNTY...

AT 900 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE AN AREA OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING 
ONSHORE. ANOTHER BAND OF HEAVIER RAIN IS MOVING INTO THE WARNED AREA 
WITH RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. THIS HEAVY RAIN IS ON 
THE NORTHWEST FRINGE OF HURRICANE ARTHUR. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES 
AND SOME RAIN GAGE REPORTS INDICATE THAT AROUND 2 INCHES OF RAIN HAS 
FALLEN IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES 
OF RAIN IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE, AND THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN IN A SHORT 
PERIOD OF TIME CAN CAUSE LOCAL FLASH FLOODING OR ENHANCE ANY 
ONGOING FLOODING.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
LEWES...ELLENDALE AND CAPE HENLOPEN STATE PARK.

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.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. 
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. RESIDENTS 
LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO 
PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING 
WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY AUTOMOBILE.

&&

LAT...LON 3845 7567 3847 7570 3868 7571 3891 7530
      3880 7516 3879 7511 3881 7510 3881 7508
      3873 7506 3868 7511 3868 7512 3867 7512
      3845 7529

$$

GORSE

750 
WGUS71 KPHI 041437
FFSPHI

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
1037 AM EDT FRI JUL 4 2014

DEC005-041446-
/O.EXP.KPHI.FF.W.0026.000000T0000Z-140704T1445Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SUSSEX DE-
1037 AM EDT FRI JUL 4 2014

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 1045 AM EDT FOR SUSSEX
COUNTY...

THE INTENSITY OF THE NUMEROUS SHOWERS ARE WEAKENING AND GRADUALLY 
SHIFTING EASTWARD. AS A RESULT, THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE 
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 3845 7567 3847 7570 3868 7571 3891 7530
      3880 7516 3879 7511 3881 7510 3881 7508
      3873 7506 3868 7511 3868 7512 3867 7512
      3845 7529

$$

GORSE

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 3, 10:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Kent	60 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Delaware, 2014 Every flash flood warning in 2014

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.