Alert archive / Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 52, NWS Wakefield, VA

August 16, 2021Chesterfield County, Henrico County, City of Richmond, Virginia

NWS Wakefield, VA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 16, 2021, 5:03 PM EDT for Chesterfield County, Henrico County, City of Richmond, Virginia. It was in force for 3 hr. 2 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 16, 2021, 5:03 PM EDT (21:03 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 2021, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Wakefield, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Chesterfield County, VA, City of Richmond, VA, Henrico County, VA

The radar

The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:07 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 16, 5:20 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD3 Wnw Richmond, VAAMSTER SCHLOSS RD AND ROUTE 687 FLOODED AND IMPASSIBLE.
Aug 16, 5:25 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD4 Se Midlothian, VAHIGH WATER AT THE INTERSECTION OF ARROW POINT TRAIL AND WEST PROVIDENCE DRIVE.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 162 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2021-08-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 161 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2021-08-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 39 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
161 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
623 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
39 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
61 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

868 
WGUS51 KAKQ 162103
FFWAKQ
VAC041-087-760-170015-
/O.NEW.KAKQ.FF.W.0052.210816T2103Z-210817T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Wakefield VA
503 PM EDT Mon Aug 16 2021

The National Weather Service in Wakefield has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  North Central Chesterfield County in central Virginia...
  West Central Henrico County in central Virginia...
  The City of Richmond in central Virginia...

* Until 815 PM EDT.

* At 503 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain 
  have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are 
  possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected 
  to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
           areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
           other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Richmond, Bon Air, University Of Richmond, Tuckahoe, Downtown 
  Richmond, Chesterfield Court House, Bensley, Bellwood, Midlothian 
  and Drewrys Bluff.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law 
enforcement and request they pass this information to the National 
Weather Service when you can do so safely.

&&

LAT...LON 3757 7763 3757 7756 3759 7754 3759 7751
      3759 7750 3750 7745 3746 7745 3744 7745
      3739 7748 3739 7754 3742 7770 3742 7772
      3744 7773 3750 7773 3752 7772 3756 7766

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 15, 8:05 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQChesterfield, City of Richmond3 hr
Aug 15, 8:21 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQGoochland, Hanover, Henrico, Powhatan3 hr
Aug 15, 8:42 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQHanover, Henrico3 hr
Aug 15, 10:17 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQChesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, City of Richmond118 min
Aug 16, 2:43 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQChesterfield, Henrico, City of Richmond3 hr
Aug 16, 3:29 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQChesterfield, Prince George, City of Colonial Heights, City of Hopewell, City of Petersburg6 hr
Aug 16, 3:33 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQSouthampton2 hr
Aug 16, 6:11 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQAmelia, Chesterfield4 hr
Aug 16, 8:18 AM EDTFlash Flood WatchAKQCharles City, Chesterfield, Essex, Gloucester, Hanover, Henrico and 18 more12 hr
Aug 16, 8:41 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQJames City, City of Williamsburg2 hr
Aug 16, 1:22 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQCity of Richmond5 hr
Aug 16, 1:47 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementAKQCity of Norfolk, City of Portsmouth43 min
Aug 16, 2:00 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQIsle of Wight, Surry, York, City of Newport News3 hr
Aug 16, 2:09 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQCity of Chesapeake, City of Norfolk, City of Portsmouth38 min
Aug 16, 2:37 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQIsle of Wight, Surry, York, City of Newport News3 hr
Aug 16, 2:46 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQCity of Chesapeake, City of Norfolk, City of Portsmouth2 hr
Aug 16, 3:00 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQCity of Chesapeake, City of Virginia Beach3 hr
Aug 16, 3:13 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQHenrico2 hr
Aug 16, 3:36 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAKQHenrico3 hr
Aug 16, 3:39 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementAKQCaroline, Essex, Richmond, Westmoreland51 min
Aug 16, 4:51 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQChesterfield, Henrico, City of Richmond114 min
Aug 16, 5:53 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQChesterfield112 min
Aug 16, 6:35 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementAKQGreensville, City of Emporia55 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Virginia, 2021Every flash flood warning in 2021

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.