Alert archive / Virginia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 54, NWS Wakefield, VA

August 20, 2021Isle of Wight County, City of Newport News, Virginia

NWS Wakefield, VA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 20, 2021, 8:55 PM EDT for Isle of Wight County, City of Newport News, 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 20, 2021, 8:55 PM EDT (00:55 UTC)
Expired: Aug 21, 2021, 12:00 AM EDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Wakefield, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties City of Newport News, VA, Isle of Wight County, VA

The radar

The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 38 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:55 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
Aug 20, 9:15 PM EDT	HEAVY RAIN 4.02	Fort Eustis, VA	RAINFALL TOTAL SINCE 7:15 PM EDT.
Aug 20, 9:15 PM EDT	HEAVY RAIN 4.41	1 Ne Rushmere, VA	RAINFALL TOTAL SINCE 7:45 PM EDT.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 140 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: 784 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -35 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 721 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 42 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

314 
WGUS51 KAKQ 210055
FFWAKQ
VAC093-700-210400-
/O.NEW.KAKQ.FF.W.0054.210821T0055Z-210821T0400Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Wakefield VA
855 PM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021

The National Weather Service in Wakefield has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Northeastern Isle of Wight County in southeastern Virginia...
  The Northern City of Newport News in southeastern Virginia...

* Until midnight EDT.

* At 855 PM EDT, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated 
  thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 
  3 and 4 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 and automated gauges.

  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...
  Newport News, Fort Eustis, Lee Hall and Rushmere.

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 3705 7670 3711 7668 3713 7668 3713 7667
      3716 7667 3715 7665 3716 7664 3717 7664
      3718 7662 3717 7661 3718 7658 3719 7658
      3721 7656 3720 7655 3710 7656 3708 7661
      3710 7663 3707 7664

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED

$$

JM

1 follow-up statement

716 
WGUS71 KAKQ 210353
FFSAKQ

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Wakefield VA
1153 PM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021

VAC093-700-210403-
/O.EXP.KAKQ.FF.W.0054.000000T0000Z-210821T0400Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Isle of Wight VA-City of Newport News VA-
1153 PM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR 
NORTHEASTERN ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY AND THE NORTHERN CITY OF NEWPORT 
NEWS...

The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a 
threat. Please continue to heed remaining road closures.

LAT...LON 3705 7670 3711 7668 3713 7668 3713 7667
      3716 7667 3715 7665 3716 7664 3717 7664
      3718 7662 3717 7661 3718 7658 3719 7658
      3721 7656 3720 7655 3710 7656 3708 7661
      3710 7663 3707 7664

$$

RMM

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 20, 8:33 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AKQ	Isle of Wight, City of Newport News	22 min
Aug 20, 8:33 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	AKQ	Isle of Wight, Southampton, City of Franklin	72 min
Aug 20, 9:41 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AKQ	Isle of Wight, Surry	3 hr
Aug 21, 2:03 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AKQ	City of Chesapeake, City of Portsmouth, City of Suffolk	3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Virginia, 2021 Every 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.