Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 231, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

September 26, 2021Yavapai County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 26, 2021, 12:29 PM MST for Yavapai County, Arizona. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Sep 26, 2021, 12:29 PM MST (19:29 UTC)
Expired: Sep 26, 2021, 3:18 PM MST
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area: Storm-based polygon
Damage threat: Considerable
Flood severity: None

County Yavapai County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 70 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:29 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Flgstf/Belemont, AZ (KFGZ), launched 12:00Z, 7.5 hours before the alert went out and 73 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: 14 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -123 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1029 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -26 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 139 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

609 
WGUS55 KFGZ 261929
FFWFGZ
AZC025-262230-
/O.NEW.KFGZ.FF.W.0231.210926T1929Z-210926T2230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ
1229 PM MST Sun Sep 26 2021

The National Weather Service in Flagstaff has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Creeks and Washes near Cherry in...
  Yavapai County in west central Arizona...

* Until 330 PM MST.

* At 1227 PM MST, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated 
  heavy rain falling across the warned area. Between 0.5 and 1 inch 
  of rain has fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.25 to 0.75 
  inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing 
  or expected to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Heavy rain producing
           flash flooding.

  SOURCE...Radar and automated gauges.

  IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water
           crossings, creeks, normally dry washes and roads.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Cherry, Powell Springs Campground, and northwestern parts of Camp 
  Verde.

This includes the following highways...
	State Route 260 between mile markers 210 and 218.

This includes the following creeks, washes and rivers...
  Ash Creek, Gaddis Wash, Cienega Creek, Cherry Creek, Hackberry 
  Wash, Racetrack Wash, Grief Hill Wash and Little Hackberry Wash.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

In hilly or mountainous terrain, there are many low water crossings 
which will become dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross 
flooded roads. Find an alternate route.

Remain alert for flooding even in locations not receiving rain. 
Normally dry washes, slot canyons and creeks can become raging 
killer currents in a matter of minutes, even from distant rainfall.

&&

LAT...LON 3469 11197 3467 11195 3464 11193 3463 11191
      3461 11190 3460 11188 3459 11188 3458 11191
      3455 11192 3454 11197 3454 11198 3448 11203
      3447 11205 3455 11212 3464 11207

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED
FLASH FLOOD DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE

$$

NL

2 follow-up statements

403 
WGUS75 KFGZ 262044
FFSFGZ

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ
144 PM MST Sun Sep 26 2021

AZC025-262230-
/O.CON.KFGZ.FF.W.0231.000000T0000Z-210926T2230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Yavapai AZ-
144 PM MST Sun Sep 26 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 330 PM MST THIS 
AFTERNOON FOR AREAS NEAR CHERRY IN YAVAPAI COUNTY...

At 143 PM MST, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated 
that light to moderate rain continues across the warned area. 
Between 0.75 and 1.25 inches of rain have fallen. Additional 
rainfall amounts of 0.1 to 0.4 inches are possible in the warned 
area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Heavy rain producing
         flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar and automated gauges.

IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water crossings,
         creeks, normally dry washes and roads.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Cherry, Powell Springs Campground, and northwestern parts of Camp 
  Verde.

This includes the following highways...
	State Route 260 between mile markers 210 and 217.

This includes the following creeks, washes and rivers...
  Ash Creek, Gaddis Wash, Cienega Creek, Cherry Creek, Hackberry 
  Wash, Racetrack Wash, Grief Hill Wash and Little Hackberry Wash.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

In hilly or mountainous terrain, there are many low water crossings 
which will become dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross 
flooded roads. Find an alternate route.

Remain alert for flooding even in locations not receiving rain. 
Normally dry washes, slot canyons and creeks can become raging 
killer currents in a matter of minutes, even from distant rainfall.

&&

LAT...LON 3469 11197 3467 11195 3464 11193 3463 11191
      3461 11190 3460 11188 3459 11188 3458 11191
      3455 11192 3454 11197 3454 11198 3448 11203
      3447 11205 3455 11212 3464 11207

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED
FLASH FLOOD DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE

$$

NL

382 
WGUS75 KFGZ 262218
FFSFGZ

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ
318 PM MST Sun Sep 26 2021

AZC025-262228-
/O.CAN.KFGZ.FF.W.0231.000000T0000Z-210926T2230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Yavapai AZ-
318 PM MST Sun Sep 26 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR AN AREA NEAR CHERRY IN 
YAVAPAI COUNTY...

Only light rain continues across the warned area. Flooding is no 
longer expected to pose a threat in a mainly rural area of Yavapai 
County near Cherry. Continue to heed remaining road closures.

LAT...LON 3469 11197 3467 11195 3464 11193 3463 11191
      3461 11190 3460 11188 3459 11188 3458 11191
      3455 11192 3454 11197 3454 11198 3448 11203
      3447 11205 3455 11212 3464 11207

$$

NL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 26, 10:34 AM MST	Flash Flood Warning Considerable damage threat	FGZ	Coconino, Navajo	3 hr
Sep 26, 11:28 AM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	FGZ	Gila	6 hr
Sep 26, 11:57 AM MST	Flash Flood Warning Considerable damage threat	FGZ	Yavapai	5 hr
Sep 26, 2:11 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	FGZ	Yavapai	3 hr
Sep 26, 2:23 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	FGZ		22 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.