Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 235, NWS Phoenix, AZ

August 31, 2021Gila County, Maricopa County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 31, 2021, 4:55 PM MST for Gila County, Maricopa 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
Aug 31, 2021, 4:55 PM MST (23:55 UTC)
Expired
Aug 31, 2021, 7:42 PM MST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Damage threat
Considerable
Flood severity
None

Counties Gila County, AZ, Maricopa County, AZ

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 51 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:55 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 71 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, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2021-08-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 243 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, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2021-08-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -16 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
243 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-208 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1906 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
4 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
7 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

934 
WGUS55 KPSR 312355
FFWPSR
AZC007-013-010800-
/O.NEW.KPSR.FF.W.0235.210831T2355Z-210901T0800Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
455 PM MST Tue Aug 31 2021

The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  The Woodbury burn scar in...
  Gila County in east central Arizona...
  Maricopa County in south central Arizona...

* Until 100 AM MST Wednesday.

* At 455 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain over the Woodbury Burn Scar. Between 0.5 and 1.5 inches 
  of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch 
  are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or 
  expected to begin shortly.

Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow 
moving through the Woodbury. The debris flow can consist of rock, 
mud, vegetation and other loose materials.

  HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms
           producing flash flooding in and around the Woodbury
           Burn Scar.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of areas in and around
           the Woodbury Burn Scar.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Apache Lake. 
  Crabtree Wash

This includes the following streams and drainages...
  Ash Creek, Barranca Creek, Lewis and Pranty Creek, Salt River, 
  Reavis Creek, Pine Creek, Alder Creek, Bronco Creek and Burnt 
  Corral Creek.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

This is a life threatening situation. Heavy rainfall will cause 
extensive and severe flash flooding of creeks...streams...and 
ditches in the Woodbury Burn Scar. Severe debris flows can also be 
anticipated across roads. Roads and driveways may be washed away in 
places. If you encounter flood waters...climb to safety.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3364 11127 3363 11121 3359 11116 3355 11112
      3350 11112 3349 11113 3348 11115 3348 11118
      3348 11120 3350 11124 3351 11129 3356 11131
      3359 11132 3362 11131

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

$$

Hirsch
1 follow-up statement
399 
WGUS75 KPSR 010242
FFSPSR

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
742 PM MST Tue Aug 31 2021

AZC007-013-010252-
/O.CAN.KPSR.FF.W.0235.000000T0000Z-210901T0800Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Gila AZ-Maricopa AZ-
742 PM MST Tue Aug 31 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THE WOODBURY BURN SCAR IS CANCELLED FOR 
GILA AND MARICOPA COUNTIES...

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

A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect until 500 AM MST Thursday for 
portions of south central Arizona and southwest Arizona.

LAT...LON 3364 11127 3363 11121 3359 11116 3355 11112
      3350 11112 3349 11113 3348 11115 3348 11118
      3348 11120 3350 11124 3351 11129 3356 11131
      3359 11132 3362 11131

$$

Hirsch

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 30, 8:18 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSR27 min
Aug 30, 9:06 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatPSRLa Paz5 hr
Aug 30, 10:59 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa, Pinal4 hr
Aug 30, 11:17 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRLa Paz3 hr
Aug 31, 12:06 AM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRMaricopa39 min
Aug 31, 12:24 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa3 hr
Aug 31, 12:50 AM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatPSRMaricopa4 hr
Aug 31, 2:55 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa3 hr
Aug 31, 5:52 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa3 hr
Aug 31, 12:39 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSR66 min
Aug 31, 1:13 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRLa Paz6 hr
Aug 31, 1:24 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatPSRLa Paz13 hr
Aug 31, 1:35 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSR70 min

Nearby

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