Alert archive / Florida / Flash Flood Warnings in 2020

Flash Flood Warning 28, NWS Mobile, AL

September 16, 2020Escambia County, Florida; Baldwin County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this flash flood warning at Sep 16, 2020, 1:03 AM CDT for Escambia County, Florida; Baldwin County, Alabama. 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
Sep 16, 2020, 1:03 AM CDT (06:03 UTC)
Expired
Sep 16, 2020, 7:00 AM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Emergency
Flash flood emergency
Damage threat
Catastrophic
Flood severity
None

Counties Baldwin County, AL, Escambia County, FL

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:04 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
Sep 16, 2:55 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 6.252 W Miflin, AL6.252IN OF RAIN MEASURED SINCE MIDNIGHT AT THE FOLEY, AL MESONET STATION.
Sep 16, 4:59 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 15.53Pensacola High School, FL15.53IN OF RAIN OBSERVED AT: 500 W MAXWELL ST. PENSACOLA FROM WEATHER STATION.
Sep 16, 6:04 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 5.871 Ese Elberta, AL5.866IN OF RAIN MEASURED SINCE MIDNIGHT AT THE ELBERTA, AL MESONET STATION.
Sep 16, 6:24 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 24.8Pensacola Nas, FL24.8IN OF RAIN MEASURED AT NAS PENSACOLA, FL. REPORTED FROM TRAINED SPOTTER.
Sep 16, 7:09 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 302 Nne Bellview, FLAN ESTIMATED 30IN OF RAIN IN NW PENSACOLA, FL. REPORTED FROM A TRAINED SPOTTER.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 00:00Z, 6.1 hours before the alert went out and 208 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2020-09-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 46 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2020-09-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 180 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
46 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-93 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
720 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
180 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
181 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

700 
WGUS54 KMOB 160603
FFWMOB
ALC003-FLC033-161200-
/O.NEW.KMOB.FF.W.0028.200916T0603Z-200916T1200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Mobile AL
103 AM CDT Wed Sep 16 2020

...FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY FOR THIS IS A SERIOUS SITUATION AS INTENSE 
RAINFALL RATES FROM SALLY'S EXCESSIVE HEAVY RAINBANDS CONTINUE TO 
MOVE ASHORE. SOME LOCATIONS HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED UP TO TWENTY 
INCHES OF RAIN SINCE THE EVENT BEGAN. THIS COULD EASILY BE DOUBLED 
GIVEN THE SHORT  AMOUNT OF TIME THAT HAS FALLEN AND GIVEN SALLY'S 
VERY SLOW MOTION TO THE NORTH THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS...

The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Southeastern Baldwin County in southwestern Alabama...
  South Central Escambia County in northwestern Florida...

* Until 700 AM CDT.

* At 101 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain in southern Baldwin County Alabama and southern 
  Escambia County Florida. Between 10 and 20 inches of rain have 
  already fallen in the warned area. Flash flooding is already 
  occurring.

  This is a FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY for This is a serious situation as 
  intense rainfall rates from Sally's excessive heavy rainbands 
  continue to move ashore. Some locations have already received up 
  to twenty inches of rain since the event began. This could easily 
  be doubled given the short  amount of time that has fallen and 
  given Sally's very slow motion to the north through the morning 
  hours. This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER 
  GROUND NOW!

  HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms
           producing flash flooding.

  SOURCE...Doppler radar, gage reports and areas small creeks
           with rapid rises.

  IMPACT...This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK
           HIGHER GROUND NOW! Life threatening flash flooding of
           low water crossings, small creeks and streams, urban
           areas, highways, streets and underpasses.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Pensacola, Brent, West Pensacola, Warrington, Gulf Shores, Foley, 
  Orange Beach, Goulding, Lillian, Myrtle Grove, Magnolia Springs, 
  Bon Secour, Perdido Beach, Elberta, Josephine, Perdido Heights, 
  Paradise Beach, Perdido Bay, Caswell and Miflin.

Additional rainfall amounts up to 15 inches are possible in the 
warned area through midday.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to higher ground now! This is an extremely dangerous and 
life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are 
fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3038 8784 3044 8773 3045 8758 3048 8743
      3055 8737 3051 8728 3050 8717 3049 8714
      3041 8718 3031 8732 3022 8781 3026 8781
      3028 8776 3037 8784

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
FLASH FLOOD DAMAGE THREAT...CATASTROPHIC

$$

JMM

The office that day

Everything else NWS Mobile, AL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 15, 9:54 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryMOBEscambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa6 hr
Sep 15, 10:53 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningMOBOkaloosa, Santa Rosa5 days
Sep 15, 11:00 PM CDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatMOBEscambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa8 hr
Sep 15, 11:36 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBEscambia, Santa Rosa28 min
Sep 16, 2:59 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBSanta Rosa31 min
Sep 16, 3:42 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBSanta Rosa15 min
Sep 16, 3:44 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBOkaloosa16 min
Sep 16, 3:45 AM CDTFlash Flood Warning EmergencyCatastrophic damage threatMOBOkaloosa, Santa Rosa8 hr
Sep 16, 3:58 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBEscambia6 hr
Sep 16, 4:00 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBOkaloosa15 min
Sep 16, 5:00 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBEscambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa10 hr
Sep 16, 9:33 AM CDTFlash Flood Warning EmergencyCatastrophic damage threatMOBEscambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa8 hr
Sep 16, 9:49 AM CDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatMOBEscambia9 hr
Sep 16, 1:21 PM CDTCoastal Flood AdvisoryMOBEscambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa15 hr
Sep 16, 1:21 PM CDTHigh Surf AdvisoryMOBEscambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa15 hr
Sep 16, 1:35 PM CDTWind AdvisoryMOBEscambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa10 hr
Sep 16, 2:26 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningMOBEscambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa12 hr
Sep 15, 7:31 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB59 min
Sep 15, 8:16 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB44 min
Sep 15, 8:29 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryMOBMobile4 hr
Sep 15, 11:40 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB25 min
Sep 16, 1:32 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB88 min
Sep 16, 2:08 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB22 min
Sep 16, 2:57 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB2 hr
Sep 16, 3:04 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBCovington, Escambia116 min
Sep 16, 4:18 PM CDTSmall Craft AdvisoryMOB14 hr
Sep 16, 4:45 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningMOBButler, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Escambia12 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Florida, 2020Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2020Every flash flood warning in 2020

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.