Alert archive / New York / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 28, NWS Buffalo, NY

August 15, 2015Erie County, Niagara County, New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this flash flood warning at Aug 15, 2015, 12:41 AM EDT for Erie County, Niagara County, New York. It was in force for 6 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
Aug 15, 2015, 12:41 AM EDT (04:41 UTC)
Expired
Aug 15, 2015, 6:15 AM EDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Buffalo, NY
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Erie County, NY, Niagara County, NY

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 19 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:45 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 15, 1:30 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 Ssw Wendelville, NYNUMEROUS REPORTS OF FLOODING AND STREET CLOSURES THROUGHOUT NORTHERN AMHERST
Aug 15, 4:00 AM EDTHEAVY RAIN 5.861 Sse Wendelville, NYMOST OF RAIN BETWEEN 12AM AND 3AM

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

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 00:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 19 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 00:00Z on 2015-08-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 277 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 00:00Z on 2015-08-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -56 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
277 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-60 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1171 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-56 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
80 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.

241 
WGUS51 KBUF 150441
FFWBUF
NYC029-063-150745-
/O.NEW.KBUF.FF.W.0028.150815T0441Z-150815T0745Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
1241 AM EDT SAT AUG 15 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN NIAGARA COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...
  NORTHEASTERN ERIE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...

* UNTIL 345 AM EDT
    
* AT 1240 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING 
  HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. TWO TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN 
  HAVE ALREADY FALLEN. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  NORTH TONAWANDA...AMHERST...PENDLETON...WOLCOTTSVILLE...PENDLETON
  CENTER AND RAPIDS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND NOW. ACT QUICKLY TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE.

&&

LAT...LON 4314 7851 4305 7851 4304 7884 4313 7884

$$

CHURCH
3 follow-up statements
482 
WGUS71 KBUF 150507
FFSBUF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
107 AM EDT SAT AUG 15 2015

NYC029-063-150745-
/O.CON.KBUF.FF.W.0028.000000T0000Z-150815T0745Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
NIAGARA NY-ERIE NY-
107 AM EDT SAT AUG 15 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 AM EDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN NIAGARA AND NORTHEASTERN ERIE COUNTIES...

AT 104 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS 
STALLED ALONG TONAWANDA CREEK PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN. RADAR RAINFALL 
ESTIMATES ARE NOW PUSHING 4 INCHES IN THE LAST HOUR. THUNDERSTORMS 
CONTINUE TO REDEVELOP WEST OF THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING AND ARE 
TRAINING INTO THE WARNED AREA. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 
INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED 
TO BEGIN SHORTLY IF NOT ALREADY ONGOING.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
NORTH TONAWANDA...AMHERST...PENDLETON...WOLCOTTSVILLE...PENDLETON
CENTER AND RAPIDS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND NOW. ACT QUICKLY TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE.

&&

LAT...LON 4314 7851 4305 7851 4304 7884 4313 7884

$$

CHURCH
845 
WGUS51 KBUF 150737
FFWBUF
NYC029-063-151015-
/O.EXT.KBUF.FF.W.0028.000000T0000Z-150815T1015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
337 AM EDT SAT AUG 15 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS EXTENDED THE

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN NIAGARA COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK... 
  NORTHERN ERIE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...

* UNTIL 615 AM EDT

* AT 333 AM EDT...FLASH FLOODING WAS ONGOING ACROSS NORTHERN ERIE 
  AND FAR SOUTHERN NIAGARA COUNTY. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS 
  NUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED ACROSS THE BUFFALO NORTHTOWNS. DOPPLER 
  RADAR ESTIMATES 4 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN A LOCALIZED AREA 
  ALONG TONAWANDA CREEK. THE HEAVY RAIN HAS TAPERED OFF...HOWEVER 
  EXCESSIVE RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE FLOODING THROUGH THE 
  EARLY MORNING HOURS. 

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE... NORTH 
  TONAWANDA...AMHERST...PENDLETON...WOLCOTTSVILLE...CLARENCE AND 
  RAPIDS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING.

TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD
DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

&&

LAT...LON 4314 7851 4305 7851 4304 7884 4313 7884

$$

HITCHCOCK
735 
WGUS71 KBUF 151008
FFSBUF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
608 AM EDT SAT AUG 15 2015

NYC029-063-151017-
/O.EXP.KBUF.FF.W.0028.000000T0000Z-150815T1015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
NIAGARA NY-ERIE NY-
608 AM EDT SAT AUG 15 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN NIAGARA AND NORTHEASTERN
ERIE COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 615 AM EDT...

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

LAT...LON 4314 7851 4305 7851 4304 7884 4313 7884

$$

CHURCH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Buffalo, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 14, 9:58 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBUF62 min
Aug 14, 10:59 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBUF61 min
Aug 14, 11:04 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFMonroe41 min
Aug 15, 12:25 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningBUFMonroe3 hr
Aug 15, 2:22 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningBUFErie5 hr
Aug 15, 4:25 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFErie80 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in New York, 2015Every flash flood warning in 2015

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.