Alert archive / Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2017

Flash Flood Warning 13, NWS Blacksburg, VA

June 15, 20174 counties in Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 15, 2017, 5:53 PM EDT for 4 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 6 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 15, 2017, 5:53 PM EDT (21:53 UTC)
Expired: Jun 15, 2017, 11:45 PM EDT
In force: 6 hr
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Botetourt County, VA, City of Roanoke, VA, City of Salem, VA, Roanoke County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 41 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:56 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 15, 6:20 PM EDT	HEAVY RAIN 3.52	1 W Hollins, VA
Jun 15, 6:46 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	1 W Roanoke, VA	FLASH FLOODING IN SHAFFERS CROSSING AREA. REPORTED ON TWITTER.
Jun 15, 6:51 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	1 Wnw Roanoke, VA	SWIFT WATER RESCUE DUE TO FLOODED STREET AT THE INTERSECTION OF LOUDON AVENUE AND 19TH STREET NW.
Jun 15, 7:01 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	N Roanoke, VA	HEAVY RAINS FROM MERGING THUNDERSTORMS RESULTED IN NUMEROUS FLOODED ROADWAYS THROUGHOUT ROANOKE CITY. THERE WAS ALSO REPORTS OF PEOPLE TRAPPED IN CARSWITHIN THE CITY.
Jun 15, 7:35 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	S Roanoke, VA	BROADCAST MEDIA SHARED A POST OF FLASH FLOODING WHICH STRANDED NUMEROUS VEHICLES ALONG PARTS OF SALEM AVENUE IN ROANOKE.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 47 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: 33 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -90 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1006 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 20 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

333 
WGUS51 KRNK 152153
FFWRNK
VAC023-161-770-775-160345-
/O.NEW.KRNK.FF.W.0013.170615T2153Z-170616T0345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service BLACKSBURG VA
553 PM EDT THU JUN 15 2017

The National Weather Service in BLACKSBURG has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Central Roanoke County in west central Virginia...
  The City of Salem in west central Virginia...
  The City of Roanoke in west central Virginia...
  Southwestern Botetourt County in west central Virginia...

* Until 1145 PM EDT

* At 549 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated two areas of thunderstorms 
  producing heavy rain. One storm is moving east from Craig County, 
  and the other is moving north out of Montgomery County. There has 
  already been 1 to 2 inches of rain from a storm from Hollins to 
  Cloverdale. These two storms are going to merge over Salem and 
  Roanoke and will likely cause flash flooding in the cities, with 
  street flooding likely. Those in and around the cities need to be 
  alert to street flooding. DO NOT DRIVE YOU CAR THROUGH FLOODED 
  ROADS! This is also going to impact I-81 between Glenvar and 
  Cloverdale.

* Some locations that will experience flooding include...
  Roanoke...
  Salem...
  Vinton...
  Troutville...
  and Catawba.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small
creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as
well as other drainage areas and low lying spots.

When it is safe to do so, please send your reports of flooding,
including mudslides or flooded roads, to the National Weather Service
by calling toll free at 1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4. Reports and
pictures can also be shared on the National Weather Service
Blacksburg Facebook page and on Twitter.

&&

LAT...LON 3740 7982 3718 7993 3718 8010 3724 8020
      3742 8009 3743 8007

$$

WP

2 follow-up statements

493 
WGUS71 KRNK 152335
FFSRNK

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service BLACKSBURG VA
735 PM EDT THU JUN 15 2017

VAC023-161-770-775-160345-
/O.CON.KRNK.FF.W.0013.000000T0000Z-170616T0345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Roanoke VA-City of Salem VA-City of Roanoke VA-Botetourt VA-
735 PM EDT THU JUN 15 2017

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1145 PM EDT FOR 
CENTRAL ROANOKE AND SOUTHWESTERN BOTETOURT COUNTIES...THE CITY OF
SALEM AND THE CITY OF ROANOKE...

At 729 PM EDT, emergency management reported widespread flash 
flooding in parts of Roanoke City. Radar estimates that up to two 
inches...with locally higher amounts...of rain has already fallen 
over a short period of time. This caused episodes of urban and Flash 
Flooding to occur. There have also been reports of people becoming 
trapped in their cars due to swiftly rising water levels. While 
rainfall is coming to an end, but flood waters will take some time 
to fully depreciate. 

Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Roanoke...
Salem...
Vinton...
Troutville...
and Catawba.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small
creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as
well as other drainage areas and low lying spots.

When it is safe to do so, please send your reports of flooding,
including mudslides or flooded roads, to the National Weather Service
by calling toll free at 1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4. Reports and
pictures can also be shared on the National Weather Service
Blacksburg Facebook page and on Twitter.

&&

LAT...LON 3740 7982 3718 7993 3718 8010 3724 8020
      3742 8009 3743 8007

$$

JJM

414 
WGUS71 KRNK 160105
FFSRNK

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service BLACKSBURG VA
905 PM EDT THU JUN 15 2017

VAC023-161-770-775-160114-
/O.CAN.KRNK.FF.W.0013.000000T0000Z-170616T0345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Roanoke VA-City of Salem VA-City of Roanoke VA-Botetourt VA-
905 PM EDT THU JUN 15 2017

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR 
CENTRAL ROANOKE AND SOUTHWESTERN BOTETOURT COUNTIES...THE CITY OF
SALEM AND THE CITY OF ROANOKE IS CANCELLED...

Local law enforcement reported that the flood waters have receded. 
The heavy rain has ended.  Flooding is no longer expected to pose a 
threat. Please continue to heed any remaining road closures.

When it is safe to do so, please send your reports of flooding,
including mudslides or flooded roads, to the National Weather Service
by calling toll free at 1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4. Reports and
pictures can also be shared on the National Weather Service
Blacksburg Facebook page and on Twitter.

LAT...LON 3740 7982 3718 7993 3718 8010 3724 8020
      3742 8009 3743 8007

$$

WP

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 15, 12:18 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Pulaski	57 min
Jun 15, 1:40 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Henry, Patrick	65 min
Jun 15, 4:05 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Bath	25 min
Jun 15, 4:09 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Grayson, City of Galax	36 min
Jun 15, 4:29 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	RNK	Grayson	3 hr
Jun 15, 4:52 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Grayson	4 hr
Jun 15, 5:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Montgomery, City of Radford	32 min
Jun 15, 5:08 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	City of Roanoke	67 min
Jun 15, 5:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Montgomery	54 min
Jun 15, 5:24 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Rockbridge	36 min
Jun 15, 5:27 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	RNK	Botetourt, Roanoke, City of Roanoke	3 hr
Jun 15, 5:28 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Craig, Roanoke	47 min
Jun 15, 5:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Roanoke, City of Roanoke, City of Salem	72 min
Jun 15, 6:28 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Bedford, Franklin	43 min
Jun 15, 6:33 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Franklin	37 min
Jun 15, 7:00 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	City of Lynchburg	30 min
Jun 15, 7:09 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Bedford	66 min
Jun 15, 7:25 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Rockbridge, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington	65 min
Jun 15, 7:27 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Giles	33 min
Jun 15, 7:47 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Buckingham	43 min
Jun 15, 7:58 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Henry	47 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Virginia, 2017 Every flash flood warning in 2017

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.