Flash Flood Warning

[Patrick Marsh]

Mods, not sure where to put this so move as necessary.

Here is a flash flood warning you don't see every day. There has been no rain in AR for the past several days, but a FFW was issued for just east of Little Rock. The reason? A levee might fail. Most people don't think about levee (or dam) breaks as a flash flood, but by definition it is.

However, in the particular case, wouldn't a Civil Emergency Message be the best course of action to take? Flash flooding is not occurring and is not imminent - just evacuations as a precaution.

Anyways, not something you see everyday and I thought people might be interested in the text.

WGUS54 KLZK 251350
FFWLZK
ARC117-147-251945-
/O.NEW.KLZK.FF.W.0028.080325T1340Z-080325T1945Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
840 AM CDT TUE MAR 25 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LITTLE ROCK HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
EAST CENTRAL PRAIRIE COUNTY IN CENTRAL ARKANSAS
SOUTHWESTERN WOODRUFF COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 245 PM CDT TUESDAY

* AT 838 AM CDT...LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE REPORTING
THAT A WEAKNESS HAS DEVELOPED IN THE LEVEE ALONG THE WHITE RIVER
NEAR LOST HILL. PERSONS LOCATED ALONG HIGHWAY 38 FROM LOST HILL...
TO SAND HILL TO LITTLE DIXIE ARE BEING ASKED BY LOCAL OFFICIALS TO
EVACUATE THE AREA.

* OTHER LOCATIONS ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE LEVEE POSSIBLY AFFECTED
WOULD INCLUDE...PLUNKETTS...BEULAH AND AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE
40 IN PRAIRIE COUNTY.

THE LEVEE HAS NOT FAILED...BUT EMERGENCY OFFICIALS ARE RECOMMENDING
EVACUATIONS AS A PRECAUTION.

LAT...LON 3473 9137 3479 9145 3499 9150 3504 9146
3503 9131 3492 9130 3491 9136 3490 9138
3489 9137
TIME...MOT...LOC 1340Z 180DEG 0KT 3494 9141

$$

44

 

[Karen Politte]

Almost all of the state of AR for the past week (since the 11+" of rainfall last week) have been under some kind of flood-related advisory. True there has been a dry period over this past weekend, but our rivers and dams are up to and beyond flood stages due to the tremendous amount of run-off and also the fact that whatever rain falls in eastern OK/western AR all gets funnelled through central AR waterways eventually, one way or another. Here in my hometown, Toad Suck Dam and Bridge has been under flash/flood watches/warnings for almost a week solid.

I can't comment on whether a Civil Emergency messgae would have been a better course to take - but I'm sure NWS LZK took the best course of action according to their deductions.

KP

 

[Mike Johnson]

if the dam failure was not occuring or immenent, a Flash Flood Watch may have been the best course of action.

the southern region supplement to the directive also says that an EVI or CEM may be issued to heighten awareness to the possibility of the dam breaking.

Did the levee ever fail?

 

[Kenny Drake]

if the dam failure was not occuring or immenent, a Flash Flood Watch may have been the best course of action.

the southern region supplement to the directive also says that an EVI or CEM may be issued to heighten awareness to the possibility of the dam breaking.

Did the levee ever fail?

A flash flood watch wouldn't work so well because the warning couldn't get out fast enough to people in the path if/when it does fail. I vote for CEM. I thought Flash Flood Warnings were based off rainfall rates (ie it must be raining at the time?)

 

[Patrick Marsh]

Per the directives, a dam break would fall under a Flash Flood Warning. However, a potential dam break is not specifically mentioned in the directives (at least not to my knowledge).

From my understanding of the event, the local emergency officials were requesting an evactuation.

 

[Jim Saueressig]

Last year there was a dam in California that was in danger of breaking and i believe it had a flash flood warning as well. I remember thinking how odd it was that when I saw it I had to read it to see how they would have such a warning there.