Alert archive / New York / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 11, NWS Buffalo, NY

July 28, 2026Allegany County, Cattaraugus County, New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this flash flood warning at Jul 28, 2026, 8:06 AM EDT for Allegany County, Cattaraugus County, New York. It was in force for 4 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: Jul 28, 2026, 8:06 AM EDT (12:06 UTC)
Expired: Jul 28, 2026, 12:09 PM EDT
In force: 4 hr
Issued by: NWS Buffalo, NY
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Allegany County, NY, Cattaraugus County, NY

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 104 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:08 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 28, 9:30 AM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	Limestone, NY	Barriers set up to close portions of North Main Street due to flooding.
Jul 28, 9:45 AM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	Limestone, NY	Social media report and photo of a culvert washed out with road impassable in Limestone.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 102 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: 592 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 654 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 109 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 175 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

020 
WGUS51 KBUF 281206
FFWBUF
NYC003-009-281615-
/O.NEW.KBUF.FF.W.0011.260728T1206Z-260728T1615Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
806 AM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Southwestern Allegany County in western New York...
  Southeastern Cattaraugus County in western New York...

* Until 1215 PM EDT.

* At 806 AM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain will be moving back across the across the warned area 
  this morning, where between 2 and 4 inches of rain have already 
  fallen overnight. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are 
  possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is expected to begin 
  shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
           areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
           other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Olean, Salamanca, Allegany State Park, Allegany, St. Bonaventure, 
  Weston Mills, Hinsdale, Carrollton, Portville, Vandalia, Knapp 
  Creek, Rock City Park, Limestone, Kill Buck, Haskell Flats, Ceres, 
  Little Genesee and Allegheny Reservoir.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are 
potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded 
roads. Find an alternate route.

Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where 
you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become 
killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or 
creeks.

&&

LAT...LON 4200 7834 4200 7851 4200 7855 4200 7860
      4200 7865 4200 7895 4206 7895 4206 7893
      4221 7862 4217 7830 4200 7812 4200 7814
      4200 7815 4200 7827 4200 7830 4200 7831

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

JJR

2 follow-up statements

457 
WGUS71 KBUF 281432
FFSBUF

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1032 AM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

NYC003-009-281615-
/O.CON.KBUF.FF.W.0011.000000T0000Z-260728T1615Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Allegany NY-Cattaraugus NY-
1032 AM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 PM EDT THIS 
AFTERNOON FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALLEGANY AND SOUTHEASTERN CATTARAUGUS 
COUNTIES...

At 1032 AM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
heavy rain continue across the warned area this morning, where 
between 2.5 and 4.5 inches of rain have already fallen overnight and 
this morning. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch are 
possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is expected to begin 
shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
         highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
         drainage and low-lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Olean, Salamanca, Allegany State Park, Allegany, St. Bonaventure, 
  Weston Mills, Hinsdale, Carrollton, Portville, Vandalia, Knapp 
  Creek, Rock City Park, Limestone, Kill Buck, Haskell Flats, Ceres, 
  Little Genesee and Allegheny Reservoir.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are 
potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded 
roads. Find an alternate route.

Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where 
you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become 
killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or 
creeks.

&&

LAT...LON 4200 7834 4200 7851 4200 7855 4200 7860
      4200 7865 4200 7895 4206 7895 4206 7893
      4221 7862 4217 7830 4200 7812 4200 7814
      4200 7815 4200 7827 4200 7830 4200 7831

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

Thomas

966 
WGUS71 KBUF 281609
FFSBUF

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1209 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

NYC003-009-281619-
/O.CAN.KBUF.FF.W.0011.000000T0000Z-260728T1615Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Allegany NY-Cattaraugus NY-
1209 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALLEGANY AND 
SOUTHEASTERN CATTARAUGUS COUNTIES...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4200 7834 4200 7851 4200 7855 4200 7860
      4200 7865 4200 7895 4206 7895 4206 7893
      4221 7862 4217 7830 4200 7812 4200 7814
      4200 7815 4200 7827 4200 7830 4200 7831

$$

DRT

The office that day

Everything else NWS Buffalo, NY issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 28, 12:20 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Allegany, Cattaraugus	55 min
Jul 28, 1:35 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BUF		85 min
Jul 28, 2:23 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	BUF	Cattaraugus	3 hr
Jul 28, 2:26 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	BUF	Niagara	4 hr
Jul 28, 4:03 AM EDT	Small Craft Advisory	BUF		24 hr
Jul 28, 4:04 AM EDT	Beach Hazards Statement	BUF	Cayuga, Chautauqua, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego and 1 more	24 hr
Jul 28, 4:00 PM EDT	Small Craft Advisory	BUF		12 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in New York, 2026 Every flash flood warning in 2026

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.