Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 33, NWS Tucson, AZ

August 20, 2015Santa Cruz County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 20, 2015, 3:42 PM MST for Santa Cruz County, Arizona. It was in force for 2 hr. 1 report 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 20, 2015, 3:42 PM MST (22:42 UTC)
Expired
Aug 20, 2015, 5:45 PM MST
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Santa Cruz County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 61 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:45 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 20, 3:58 PM MSTFLASH FLOODNogales, AZDOE STREET BRIDGE OVERTOPPED AT NOGALES WASH

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

The nearest sounding before it

Tuscon, AZ (KDMA), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 84 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 2015-08-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1145 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 2015-08-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 25 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
1145 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-152 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1738 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
25 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
8 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

862 
WGUS55 KTWC 202242
FFWTWC
AZC023-210045-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0033.150820T2242Z-150821T0045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
342 PM MST THU AUG 20 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 545 PM MST
    
* AT 337 PM MST...DOPPLER RADAR AND AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGES INDICATED THAT A
  THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTH CENTRAL SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HAS PRODUCED 
  BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES OF RAIN. AN AUTOMATED RAIN GAGE NEAR NOGALES
  IN ARIZONA REPORTED 1.14 INCHES IN THE PAST HOUR. TWO RAIN GAGES
  IN NOGALES SONORA REPORTED 1.61 INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE PAST HOUR. RAINFALL
  RUNOFF WILL RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN THE NOGALES WASH. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TURN AROUND...DON'T DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD
DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

&&

LAT...LON 3148 11102 3148 11084 3133 11087 3133 11098

$$
2 follow-up statements
021 
WGUS75 KTWC 202329
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
429 PM MST THU AUG 20 2015

AZC023-210045-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0033.000000T0000Z-150821T0045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SANTA CRUZ AZ-
429 PM MST THU AUG 20 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM MST FOR
SOUTH CENTRAL SANTA CRUZ COUNTY...

AT 425 PM MST...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED FLOOD WATERS 
OVERTOPPING THE DOE STREET BRIDGE IN NOGALES. WHILE THE HEAVIER RAIN 
HAS ENDED...RIVER GAUGES CONTINUE TO INDICATE HEAVY FLOWS MOVING 
THROUGH THE NOGALES WASH. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

PLEASE REPORT FLOODING TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WHEN YOU
CAN DO SO SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 3148 11102 3148 11084 3133 11087 3133 11098

$$

CARLAW
134 
WGUS75 KTWC 210054
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
554 PM MST THU AUG 20 2015

AZC023-210103-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0033.000000T0000Z-150821T0045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SANTA CRUZ AZ-
554 PM MST THU AUG 20 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HAS
EXPIRED...

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 3148 11102 3148 11084 3133 11087 3133 11098

$$

RH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tucson, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 20, 12:43 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPima32 min
Aug 20, 1:06 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise24 min
Aug 20, 1:24 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise111 min
Aug 20, 1:28 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise3 hr
Aug 20, 1:53 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz37 min
Aug 20, 1:59 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCSanta Cruz46 min
Aug 20, 2:01 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise, Santa Cruz119 min
Aug 20, 2:16 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise29 min
Aug 20, 2:36 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCSanta Cruz39 min
Aug 20, 2:47 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima, Pinal28 min
Aug 20, 3:10 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCSanta Cruz110 min
Aug 20, 3:14 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima31 min
Aug 20, 3:22 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima38 min
Aug 20, 3:45 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima30 min
Aug 20, 3:48 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima87 min
Aug 20, 4:14 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima46 min
Aug 20, 4:25 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima3 hr
Aug 20, 4:57 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima63 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 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.