Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 147, NWS Tucson, AZ

August 17, 2021Pima County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 17, 2021, 4:40 PM MST for Pima County, Arizona. It was in force for 2 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 17, 2021, 4:40 PM MST (23:40 UTC)
Expired
Aug 17, 2021, 6:45 PM MST
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Damage threat
Considerable
Flood severity
None

County Pima County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:41 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 17, 4:53 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD3 Ne Tucson, AZCAR STALLED IN FLOWING WATER ACROSS THE ROAD. WATER ESTIMATED 1 FOOT DEEP.
Aug 17, 5:10 PM MSTFLASH FLOOD3 Ne Tucson, AZWATER ESTIMATED 6 INCHES AND FLOWING WILMOT AND 5TH.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 169 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 2021-08-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 14 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 2021-08-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -1 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
14 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-428 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1452 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
154 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

149 
WGUS55 KTWC 172340
FFWTWC
AZC019-180145-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0147.210817T2340Z-210818T0145Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
440 PM MST Tue Aug 17 2021

The National Weather Service in Tucson has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Eastern Pima County in southeastern Arizona...

* Until 645 PM MST.

* At 440 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain 
  have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin 
  shortly.

  HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms
           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...
  Tucson, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Catalina Foothills.

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.

Remain alert for flooding even in locations not receiving rain. 
Washes, streams, and rivers can become raging killer currents in a 
matter of minutes, even from distant rainfall.

&&

LAT...LON 3227 11085 3223 11080 3218 11087 3223 11090

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

$$

RH
1 follow-up statement
654 
WGUS75 KTWC 180138
FFSTWC

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
638 PM MST Tue Aug 17 2021

AZC019-180148-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0147.000000T0000Z-210818T0145Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Pima AZ-
638 PM MST Tue Aug 17 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 645 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR 
EASTERN PIMA COUNTY...

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

LAT...LON 3227 11085 3223 11080 3218 11087 3223 11090

$$

RH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 5:00 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatTWCGraham2 hr
Aug 16, 5:11 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCCochise34 min
Aug 16, 5:19 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCCochise41 min
Aug 16, 5:29 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise3 hr
Aug 16, 5:35 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima40 min
Aug 16, 5:36 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCGraham39 min
Aug 16, 5:50 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise4 hr
Aug 16, 5:56 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCCochise34 min
Aug 16, 6:03 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatTWCCochise4 hr
Aug 16, 6:03 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCGraham42 min
Aug 16, 6:05 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCCochise40 min
Aug 16, 6:11 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCGraham, Pinal49 min
Aug 16, 6:17 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPima43 min
Aug 16, 6:44 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatTWCGraham4 hr
Aug 16, 6:55 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPinal50 min
Aug 16, 7:00 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCGraham45 min
Aug 16, 7:03 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz42 min
Aug 16, 7:07 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC38 min
Aug 16, 7:09 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCSanta Cruz36 min
Aug 16, 7:15 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise3 hr
Aug 16, 7:19 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatTWCPima3 hr
Aug 16, 7:24 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima35 min
Aug 16, 8:04 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC41 min
Aug 16, 8:08 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz37 min
Aug 16, 8:20 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz40 min
Aug 16, 8:32 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima3 hr
Aug 16, 8:46 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise, Pima, Santa Cruz3 hr
Aug 16, 8:51 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatTWCPima3 hr
Aug 16, 8:51 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC39 min
Aug 16, 9:05 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz40 min
Aug 16, 10:07 PM MSTAreal Flood WarningTWCCochise3 hr
Aug 16, 10:15 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC30 min
Aug 16, 10:24 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima, Pinal81 min
Aug 16, 10:29 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima2 hr
Aug 16, 10:45 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima4 hr
Aug 16, 10:49 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPinal116 min
Aug 16, 11:16 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPinal74 min
Aug 16, 11:21 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC39 min
Aug 16, 11:23 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPinal3 hr
Aug 16, 11:37 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatTWCPima, Pinal3 hr
Aug 17, 12:11 AM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima49 min
Aug 17, 12:13 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima4 hr
Aug 17, 12:17 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima107 min
Aug 17, 12:24 AM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPima51 min
Aug 17, 12:58 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal3 hr
Aug 17, 1:16 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima3 hr
Aug 17, 1:18 AM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPima42 min
Aug 17, 1:24 AM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatTWCPima5 hr
Aug 17, 2:05 AM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPima70 min
Aug 17, 2:24 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima3 hr
Aug 17, 2:55 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima3 hr
Aug 17, 3:24 AM MSTAreal Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal6 hr
Aug 17, 9:28 AM MSTAreal Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal8 hr
Aug 17, 10:55 AM MSTAreal Flood WarningTWCPima15 hr
Aug 17, 12:51 PM MSTAreal Flood WarningTWCPinal9 hr

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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.