Alert archive / New York / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 29, NWS Buffalo, NY

August 15, 2015Erie County, New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this flash flood warning at Aug 15, 2015, 2:22 AM EDT for Erie County, New York. It was in force for 5 hr. 4 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, 2:22 AM EDT (06:22 UTC)
Expired
Aug 15, 2015, 7:15 AM EDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
NWS Buffalo, NY
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Erie County, NY

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 10 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:26 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, 3:17 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD3 N Buffalo, NYDELEWARE AVE S CURVES FLOODED WITH VEHICLES STUCK IN FLOOD WATER.
Aug 15, 3:35 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD4 Ne Buffalo, NYEAST AMHERST STREET FLOODED WITH VEHICLES TRAPPED IN FLOOD WATERS
Aug 15, 3:50 AM EDTHEAVY RAIN 3.791 Ese Cleveland Hill, NY
Aug 15, 4:15 AM EDTFLASH FLOODAmherst, NYFLOODING ON MAPLE RD NEAR NIAGARA FALLS BLVD AND SHERIDAN DR NEAR BAILEY WITH ROAD CLOSURES.

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, 6.4 hours before the alert went out and 13 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.

784 
WGUS51 KBUF 150622
FFWBUF
NYC029-150915-
/O.NEW.KBUF.FF.W.0029.150815T0622Z-150815T0915Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 515 AM EDT
    
* AT 218 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS 
  PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE BUFFALO METRO AREA. UP TO TWO 
  INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO 
  REDEVELOP AND TRAIN ACROSS THE SAME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNED AREA 
  THROUGH 4 AM. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  BUFFALO...CHEEKTOWAGA...NORTH TONAWANDA...CLARENCE...KENMORE...
  DEPEW...AMHERST AND TONAWANDA.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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

TURN AROUND DONT DROWN.

&&

LAT...LON 4304 7890 4301 7891 4302 7890 4302 7884
      4304 7883 4306 7846 4288 7846 4287 7889
      4288 7888 4288 7889 4296 7892 4295 7893
      4300 7893 4301 7892 4301 7893 4304 7894

$$

CHURCH
3 follow-up statements
903 
WGUS71 KBUF 150810
FFSBUF

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

NYC029-150915-
/O.CON.KBUF.FF.W.0029.000000T0000Z-150815T0915Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ERIE NY-
410 AM EDT SAT AUG 15 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 AM EDT FOR
NORTHERN ERIE COUNTY...

AT 407 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAINFALL WAS BEGINNING 
TO PUSH INTO THE BUFFALO SOUTHTOWNS AND AWAY FROM THE CENTRAL AND 
NORTHERN PORTION OF THE BUFFALO METRO AREA WHERE THE HEAVIEST RAIN 
HAS FALLEN SO FAR. EVEN THOUGH THE HEAVY RAIN IS TAPERING 
OFF...FLASH FLOODING WILL CONTINUE FROM BUFFALO INTO THE NORTHTOWNS. 

RADAR ESTIMATES THAT 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS 
BUFFALO...WITH EVEN HIGHER AMOUNTS OF AROUND 5 INCHES ALONG 
TONAWANDA CREEK.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
BUFFALO...CHEEKTOWAGA...NORTH TONAWANDA...CLARENCE...KENMORE...
DEPEW...AMHERST AND TONAWANDA.

A SEPARATE FLASH FLOOD WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6:15 AM 
FOR FAR NORTHERN ERIE AND FAR SOUTHERN NIAGARA COUNTIES ALONG 
TONAWANDA CREEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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

&&

LAT...LON 4304 7890 4301 7891 4302 7890 4302 7884
      4304 7883 4306 7846 4288 7846 4287 7889
      4288 7888 4288 7889 4296 7892 4295 7893
      4300 7893 4301 7892 4301 7893 4304 7894

$$

HITCHCOCK
387 
WGUS51 KBUF 150859
FFWBUF
NYC029-151115-
/O.EXT.KBUF.FF.W.0029.000000T0000Z-150815T1115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS EXTENDED THE

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

* UNTIL 715 AM EDT

* AT 455 AM EDT...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED ONGOING FLASH 
  FLOODING FROM PREVIOUS HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS BUFFALO AND THE 
  NORTHERN AND EASTERN SUBURBS. NUMEROUS ROADS ARE FLOODED AND 
  IMPASSABLE. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES THAT 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS 
  FALLEN...WITH EVEN HIGHER AMOUNTS OF UP TO 5 INCHES NEAR TONAWANDA 
  CREEK IN FAR NORTHERN ERIE COUNTY. THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED...BUT 
  WATER WILL REMAIN HIGH INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BEFORE IT 
  DRAINS OFF.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  BUFFALO...CHEEKTOWAGA...NORTH TONAWANDA...CLARENCE...KENMORE...
  DEPEW...AMHERST AND TONAWANDA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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

&&

LAT...LON 4304 7890 4301 7891 4302 7890 4302 7884
      4304 7883 4306 7846 4288 7846 4287 7889
      4288 7888 4288 7889 4296 7892 4295 7893
      4300 7893 4301 7892 4301 7893 4304 7894

$$

HITCHCOCK
053 
WGUS71 KBUF 151117
FFSBUF

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

NYC029-151125-
/O.EXP.KBUF.FF.W.0029.000000T0000Z-150815T1115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ERIE NY-
717 AM EDT SAT AUG 15 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN ERIE COUNTY HAS
EXPIRED...

FLOOD WATERS WILL CONTINUE TO RECEDED THIS MORNING...AND ARE NO 
LONGER EXPECTED TO POSE A THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY. A FEW LIGHT 
RAIN SHOWERS WILL LINGER THROUGH 8 AM THIS MORNING... BUT LITTLE 
ADDITIONAL IMPACT OR ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. PLEASE CONTINUE TO 
HEED ANY ROAD CLOSURES.

LAT...LON 4304 7890 4301 7891 4302 7890 4302 7884
      4304 7883 4306 7846 4288 7846 4287 7889
      4288 7888 4288 7889 4296 7892 4295 7893
      4300 7893 4301 7892 4301 7893 4304 7894

$$

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, 12:41 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningBUFErie, Niagara6 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.