Alert archive / Colorado / Flash Flood Warnings in 2020

Flash Flood Warning 48, NWS Pueblo, CO

July 28, 2020Costilla County, Huerfano County, Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this flash flood warning at Jul 28, 2020, 8:47 PM MDT for Costilla County, Huerfano County, Colorado. It was in force for 3 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: Jul 28, 2020, 8:47 PM MDT (02:47 UTC)
Expired: Jul 28, 2020, 11:45 PM MDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Pueblo, CO
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Costilla County, CO, Huerfano County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 130 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:48 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
Jul 28, 10:00 PM MDT	FLASH FLOOD	6 N Cuchara, CO	WATER OVER COUNTY RD. 421.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 305 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: 36 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -177 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1411 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -15 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

864 
WGUS55 KPUB 290247
FFWPUB
COC023-055-290545-
/O.NEW.KPUB.FF.W.0048.200729T0247Z-200729T0545Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
847 PM MDT Tue Jul 28 2020

The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Southwestern Huerfano County in southeastern Colorado...
  Northeastern Costilla County in south central Colorado...

* Until 1145 PM MDT.

* At 845 PM MDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
  heavy rain across the warned area. Around three tenths inch of rain
  has already fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin
  shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, 
           highways, streets and underpasses as well as other 
           drainage and low lying areas. 

* Some locations that will experience flooding include...
  Spring Burn Scar south of Highway 160 in Costilla county, Spring
  Burn Scar north of Highway 160, Indian Creek on the southeastern
  Spring Burn Scar, Spring Burn Scar south of Highway 160 in Huerfano
  county and La Veta Pass.

Excessive rainfall over the burn scar may result in debris flow 
moving through multiple drainages. The heavy rain was occurring 
across most of the burn scar.

This includes the following areas, Sulphur Springs on Indian Creek,
County Road 421 near Indian Creek, South Abeyta Creek near County
Road 443, South Abeyta Creek near County Road 442, and South Abeyta
Creek near County Road 441.
  
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3769 10499 3760 10500 3754 10510 3751 10505
      3745 10502 3738 10506 3745 10529 3753 10529
      3758 10523 3763 10527 3770 10526

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
EXPECTED RAINFALL...0.30-0.50 INCHES IN 1 HOUR

$$

Hodanish

4 follow-up statements

707 
WGUS75 KPUB 290307
FFSPUB

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
907 PM MDT Tue Jul 28 2020

COC023-055-290545-
/O.CON.KPUB.FF.W.0048.000000T0000Z-200729T0545Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Huerfano CO-Costilla CO-
907 PM MDT Tue Jul 28 2020

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1145 PM MDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN HUERFANO AND NORTHEASTERN COSTILLA COUNTIES...

At 904 PM MDT, Doppler radar indicated that the rain has moved off 
the western one half of the SPRING burn scar. Moderate to heavy rain 
was still falling on the eastern one half of the burn scar. The rain 
should move off of all of the burn scar between 9:15 and 9:20 pm. as 
of 9:06 pm, torrential rainfall was occurring over the far northeast 
section of the burn scar. 

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, 
         highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage 
         and low lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Spring Burn Scar south of Highway 160 in Costilla county, Spring Burn
Scar north of Highway 160, Indian Creek on the southeastern Spring
Burn Scar, Spring Burn Scar south of Highway 160 in Huerfano county
and La Veta Pass.

This includes the following areas, Sulphur Springs on Indian Creek,
County Road 421 near Indian Creek, South Abeyta Creek near County
Road 443, South Abeyta Creek near County Road 442, and South Abeyta
Creek near County Road 441.
  
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3769 10499 3760 10500 3754 10510 3751 10505
      3745 10502 3738 10506 3745 10529 3753 10529
      3758 10523 3763 10527 3770 10526

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED


$$

Hodanish

765 
WGUS75 KPUB 290322
FFSPUB

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
922 PM MDT Tue Jul 28 2020

COC023-055-290545-
/O.CON.KPUB.FF.W.0048.000000T0000Z-200729T0545Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Huerfano CO-Costilla CO-
922 PM MDT Tue Jul 28 2020

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1145 PM MDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN HUERFANO AND NORTHEASTERN COSTILLA COUNTIES...

At 920 PM MDT, Doppler radar indicated the rain has moved off of the 
SPRING  burn scar. Radar has estimated between 0.1 and 0.5 inches of 
rain has fallen over most of the burn scar. Amounts approaching 1 
inch were estimated by radar over the far northeast sector of the 
SPRING burn scar. Flash flooding is likely occurring in many areas 
of the the SPRING burn scar at 9:20 pm, and this flash flooding will 
likely continue into the late evening hours. 

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by heavy rain.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, 
         highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage 
         and low lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Spring Burn Scar south of Highway 160 in Costilla county, Spring Burn
Scar north of Highway 160, Indian Creek on the southeastern Spring
Burn Scar, Spring Burn Scar south of Highway 160 in Huerfano county
and La Veta Pass.

This includes the following areas, Sulphur Springs on Indian Creek,
County Road 421 near Indian Creek, South Abeyta Creek near County
Road 443, South Abeyta Creek near County Road 442, and South Abeyta
Creek near County Road 441.
  
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3769 10499 3760 10500 3754 10510 3751 10505
      3745 10502 3738 10506 3745 10529 3753 10529
      3758 10523 3763 10527 3770 10526

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

Hodanish

602 
WGUS75 KPUB 290329
FFSPUB

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
929 PM MDT Tue Jul 28 2020

COC023-055-290545-
/O.CON.KPUB.FF.W.0048.000000T0000Z-200729T0545Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Huerfano CO-Costilla CO-
929 PM MDT Tue Jul 28 2020

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1145 PM MDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN HUERFANO AND NORTHEASTERN COSTILLA COUNTIES...

At 928 PM MDT, the public observed flash flooding occurring in 
Forbes Park.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Trained weather spotters.

IMPACT...Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, 
         highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage 
         and low lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Spring Burn Scar south of Highway 160 in Costilla county, Spring Burn
Scar north of Highway 160, Indian Creek on the southeastern Spring
Burn Scar, Spring Burn Scar south of Highway 160 in Huerfano county
and La Veta Pass.

This includes the following areas, Sulphur Springs on Indian Creek,
County Road 421 near Indian Creek, South Abeyta Creek near County
Road 443, South Abeyta Creek near County Road 442, and South Abeyta
Creek near County Road 441.
  
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3769 10499 3760 10500 3754 10510 3751 10505
      3745 10502 3738 10506 3745 10529 3753 10529
      3758 10523 3763 10527 3770 10526

FLASH FLOOD...OBSERVED

$$

Hodanish

402 
WGUS75 KPUB 290539
FFSPUB

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
1139 PM MDT Tue Jul 28 2020

COC023-055-290547-
/O.EXP.KPUB.FF.W.0048.000000T0000Z-200729T0545Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Huerfano CO-Costilla CO-
1139 PM MDT Tue Jul 28 2020

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN HUERFANO AND NORTHEASTERN
COSTILLA COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 1145 PM MDT...

Flood waters have receded. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a 
threat. Please be extremely careful if traveling in the burn scar 
area as area roadways, especially in rural areas, may have been 
washed out. Be alert for possible closed roadways in the burn scar 
area. 

LAT...LON 3769 10499 3760 10500 3754 10510 3751 10505
      3745 10502 3738 10506 3745 10529 3753 10529
      3758 10523 3763 10527 3770 10526

$$

Hodanish

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 28, 6:13 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Otero	17 min
Jul 28, 6:45 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Las Animas	30 min
Jul 28, 8:35 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Huerfano	25 min
Jul 28, 9:41 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Otero	34 min
Jul 29, 1:23 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Baca	22 min
Jul 29, 2:34 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Kiowa	26 min
Jul 29, 3:24 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Prowers	21 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Colorado, 2020 Every 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.