Alert archive / Maryland / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 52, NWS Baltimore/Washington

August 20, 2021Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Maryland

NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this flash flood warning at Aug 20, 2021, 8:21 AM EDT for Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Maryland. It was in force for 101 min. 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
Aug 20, 2021, 8:21 AM EDT (12:21 UTC)
Expired
Aug 20, 2021, 10:02 AM EDT
In force
101 min
Issued by
NWS Baltimore/Washington
Area
Storm-based polygon
Damage threat
Considerable
Flood severity
None

Counties Montgomery County, MD, Prince George's County, MD

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 42 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:25 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 20, 9:15 AM EDTFLOOD1 Sw Four Corners, MDSLIGO CREEK PARKWAY CLOSED AT BRUNETT AVENUE DUE TO STANDING HIGH WATER IN THE ROAD.

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, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 35 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 2021-08-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 106 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2021-08-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -39 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
106 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
644 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
8 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-39 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

021 
WGUS51 KLWX 201221
FFWLWX
DCC001-MDC031-033-201645-
/O.NEW.KLWX.FF.W.0052.210820T1221Z-210820T1645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
821 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021

The National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Northeastern District of Columbia...
  Southeastern Montgomery County in central Maryland...
  Northwestern Prince Georges County in central Maryland...

* Until 1245 PM EDT.

* At 821 AM EDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain across the 
  warned area. Between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain have fallen. 
  Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1.5 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.

  IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,
           urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  College Park...                    Langley Park...
  Beltsville...                      Fairland...
  Hyattsville...                     White Oak...
  Takoma Park...                     Adelphi...
  Colesville...                      Kemp Mill...
  North Kensington...                Forest Glen...
  Hillandale...                      Wheaton-Glenmont...
  Silver Spring...                   Wheaton...
  Chillum...                         Calverton...
  Glenmont...                        Mount Rainier...

This includes the following streams and drainages...
  Sligo Creek, Rock Creek and Anacostia River.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3901 7705 3907 7707 3907 7705 3906 7702
      3906 7699 3904 7696 3901 7696 3896 7695
      3893 7696 3893 7697 3895 7699 3897 7702
      3899 7705

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

$$

JMG
1 follow-up statement
209 
WGUS71 KLWX 201402
FFSLWX

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
1002 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021

DCC001-MDC031-033-201412-
/O.CAN.KLWX.FF.W.0052.000000T0000Z-210820T1645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
District of Columbia DC-Montgomery MD-Prince Georges MD-
1002 AM EDT Fri Aug 20 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY AND 
NORTHWESTERN PRINCE GEORGES COUNTIES AND THE NORTHEASTERN DISTRICT 
OF COLUMBIA...

The heavy rain has ended but light rain continues. Flooding is 
ongoing but the threat for the rapid rise in water levels have 
ended. Please continue to heed road closures.

An Areal Flood Warning remains in effect until 1:45pm this afternoon

A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect until 1200 PM EDT for portions 
of DC, central Maryland and northern Virginia.

LAT...LON 3901 7705 3907 7707 3907 7705 3906 7702
      3906 7699 3904 7696 3901 7696 3896 7695
      3893 7696 3893 7697 3895 7699 3897 7702
      3899 7705

$$

JMG

The office that day

Everything else NWS Baltimore/Washington issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 20, 4:52 AM EDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatLWXFrederick102 min
Aug 20, 6:34 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningLWXFrederick2 hr
Aug 20, 7:35 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningLWXMontgomery, Prince George's9 hr
Aug 20, 7:55 AM EDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatLWXMontgomery2 hr
Aug 20, 8:16 AM EDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatLWXMontgomery111 min
Aug 20, 11:20 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningLWXAnne Arundel, Calvert3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Maryland, 2021Flash Flood Warnings in District of Columbia, 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.