Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 45, NWS Phoenix, AZ

July 18, 2021Gila County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 18, 2021, 5:54 PM MST for Gila County, Arizona. It was in force for 4 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: Jul 18, 2021, 5:54 PM MST (00:54 UTC)
Expired: Jul 18, 2021, 9:38 PM MST
In force: 4 hr
Issued by: NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area: Storm-based polygon
Damage threat: Considerable
Flood severity: None

County Gila County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:58 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 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 79 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: 1031 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2190 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 86 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

026 
WGUS55 KPSR 190054
FFWPSR
AZC007-190500-
/O.NEW.KPSR.FF.W.0045.210719T0054Z-210719T0500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
554 PM MST Sun Jul 18 2021

The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  The Bush Fire burn scar in...
  Gila County in east central Arizona...

* Until 1000 PM MST.

* At 554 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain over the Bush Fire Burn Scar. Between 1 and 1.5 inches 
  of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to 
  begin shortly.

Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow 
moving through the Tonto Creek basin. 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 Bush Fire
           Burn Scar.

  SOURCE...Radar.

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

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Tonto Basin, Slate Creek, and highway 188.

This includes the following highways...
	AZ Route 188 between mile markers 263 and 266.
	AZ Route 87 between mile markers 227 and 228.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move away from recently burned areas. Life-threatening flooding of 
creeks, roads and normally dry arroyos is likely. The heavy rains 
will likely trigger rockslides, mudslides and debris flows in steep 
terrain, especially in and around these areas.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3392 11131 3386 11129 3389 11137 3395 11144
      3396 11139 3393 11133

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

$$

INS

3 follow-up statements

307 
WGUS75 KPSR 190215
FFSPSR

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
715 PM MST Sun Jul 18 2021

AZC007-190500-
/O.CON.KPSR.FF.W.0045.000000T0000Z-210719T0500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Gila AZ-
715 PM MST Sun Jul 18 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THE BUSH FIRE BURN SCAR REMAINS IN EFFECT 
UNTIL 10 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR GILA COUNTY...

At 715 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy 
rain over the Bush Fire Burn Scar. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain 
have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow 
moving through the Tonto Creek basin. 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 Bush Fire Burn Scar.

SOURCE...Radar.

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

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Tonto Basin, Slate Creek, and highway 188.

This includes the following highways...
	AZ Route 188 between mile markers 263 and 266.
	AZ Route 87 near mile marker 227.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move away from recently burned areas. Life-threatening flooding of 
creeks, roads and normally dry arroyos is likely. The heavy rains 
will likely trigger rockslides, mudslides and debris flows in steep 
terrain, especially in and around these areas.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3392 11131 3386 11129 3389 11137 3395 11144
      3396 11139 3393 11133

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

$$

INS

753 
WGUS75 KPSR 190258
FFSPSR

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
758 PM MST Sun Jul 18 2021

AZC007-190500-
/O.CON.KPSR.FF.W.0045.000000T0000Z-210719T0500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Gila AZ-
758 PM MST Sun Jul 18 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THE BUSH FIRE BURN SCAR REMAINS IN EFFECT 
UNTIL 10 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR GILA COUNTY...

At 758 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy 
rain over the Bush Fire Burn Scar. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain 
have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow 
moving through the Tonto Creek basin. 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 Bush Fire Burn Scar.

SOURCE...Radar.

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

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Tonto Basin, Slate Creek, and highway 188.

This includes the following highways...
	AZ Route 188 between mile markers 263 and 266.
	AZ Route 87 near mile marker 227.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move away from recently burned areas. Life-threatening flooding of 
creeks, roads and normally dry arroyos is likely. The heavy rains 
will likely trigger rockslides, mudslides and debris flows in steep 
terrain, especially in and around these areas.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3392 11131 3386 11129 3389 11137 3395 11144
      3396 11139 3393 11133

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

$$

INS

291 
WGUS75 KPSR 190438
FFSPSR

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
938 PM MST Sun Jul 18 2021

AZC007-190448-
/O.CAN.KPSR.FF.W.0045.000000T0000Z-210719T0500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Gila AZ-
938 PM MST Sun Jul 18 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THE BUSH FIRE BURN SCAR IS CANCELLED FOR 
GILA COUNTY...

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

LAT...LON 3392 11131 3386 11129 3389 11137 3395 11144
      3396 11139 3393 11133

$$

18

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 18, 5:11 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR	Gila	34 min
Jul 18, 6:02 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR		28 min
Jul 19, 12:41 AM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR	Maricopa	49 min
Jul 19, 1:13 AM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR	Maricopa	32 min
Jul 19, 12:29 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR		46 min
Jul 19, 1:01 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	PSR	Maricopa	3 hr
Jul 19, 1:48 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	PSR	La Paz	3 hr
Jul 19, 3:17 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR	La Paz	28 min
Jul 19, 3:33 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	PSR	La Paz	3 hr
Jul 19, 3:38 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	PSR	La Paz, Yuma	3 hr

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.