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NOUS41 KWBC 111842
PNSWSH
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 02-40
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
245 PM EDT TUE JUN 11 2002
TO: FAMILY SERVICE /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY
MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/
SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/
CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: JAMES E. LEE
CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH
SUBJECT: COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FLASH FLOOD WARNING TEST
AUGUST 12 TO OCTOBER 1 2002
EFFECTIVE MONDAY AUGUST 12 2002 AT 6 A.M. MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME
/MDT/... 5 A.M. MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME /MST/ AND PACIFIC DAYLIGHT
TIME /PDT/... 1200 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/...FOUR
WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES /WFO/ IN THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S. WILL
BEGIN TO ISSUE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING AND FLASH FLOOD
WARNING INFORMATION IN A SINGLE PRODUCT AS A TEST. THESE WFOS
WILL ISSUE COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS THREATEN TO PRODUCE SERIOUS DAMAGE DUE TO
STRONG WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND FLASH FLOODING. WEATHER FORECAST
OFFICES PARTICIPATING IN THE TEST INCLUDE TUCSON AND FLAGSTAFF
AZ...LAS VEGAS NV...AND SAN DIEGO CA.
INFORMATION PERTAINING TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS /SVR/ AND
FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS /FFW/ IS NORMALLY ISSUED SEPARATELY AND
FOLLOWED UP ON INDIVIDUALLY. HOWEVER...SUMMER THUNDERSTORMS IN
THE DESERT SOUTHWEST CAN PRODUCE BOTH DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL
ALONG WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS RESULTING IN FLASH FLOODING. THIS
TEST WILL HELP DETERMINE WHETHER STREAMLINED WARNING
DISSEMINATION WILL RESULT IN INCREASED LEAD TIME AND LESS WARNING
REDUNDANCY.
THE FOUR WFOS CAN STILL ISSUE WARNINGS SEPARATELY... BUT WILL
ISSUE COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS WHEN
APPROPRIATE. WFOS WILL ISSUE COMBINED WARNINGS USING THE FLASH
FLOOD WARNING HEADER /WMO HEADING WGUS5I KCCC... AWIPS IDENTIFIER
FFWCCC... WHERE CCC IS THE IDENTIFIER OF THE WFO ISSUING THE
INFORMATION/. SEE TABLE 1 FOR THE LIST OF COMBINED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING PRODUCT IDENTIFIERS FOR THIS
TEST. THE NAME OF THE COMBINED PRODUCT IN THE MASS MEDIA HEADER
IS COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING. ALL
SUBSEQUENT WARNING UPDATES... INCLUDING CANCELLATION OF THE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING PORTION OF A COMBINED WARNING...WILL
BE ISSUED IN A FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT /WMO HEADING WGUS8I KCCC...
AWIPS ID FLSCCC/.
TABLE 1 - COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
AND FOLLOW UP STATEMENT PRODUCT IDENTIFIERS
COMBINED WARNING FOLLOW-UP STATEMENT
NWS OFFICE WMO HEADING AWIPS ID WMO HEADING AWIPS ID
TUCSON AZ WGUS55 KTWC FFWTWC WGUS85 KTWC FLSTWC
FLAGSTAFF AZ WGUS55 KFGZ FFWFGZ WGUS85 KFGZ FLSFGZ
LAS VEGAS NV WGUS55 KVEF FFWVEF WGUS85 KVEF FLSVEF
SAN DIEGO CA WGUS56 KSGX FFWSGX WGUS86 KSGX FLSSGX
WFOS WILL MENTION SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INFORMATION FIRST IN THE
PRODUCT NAME... HEADLINES... AND BODY OF THE WARNING UNTIL THE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PORTION IS CANCELED.
PARTICIPATING WFOS WILL CONDUCT A FOLLOW UP SERVICE EVALUATION.
IN ADDITION TO REVIEWING HOW ISSUING COMBINED WARNINGS IMPACT
OFFICE OPERATIONS...THEY WILL CONTACT AND INTERVIEW PRINCIPLE
PARTNERS. THIS INCLUDES THE MEDIA...EMERGENCY MANAGERS...AND IF
POSSIBLE THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS... PLEASE CONTACT
TOM AINSWORTH
WESTERN REGION WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
PHONE: 801-524-4000
EMAIL: TOM.AINSWORTH@xxxxxxxx
EXAMPLES OF A COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD
WARNING AND FOLLOW UP STATEMENT ARE SHOWN BELOW.
EXAMPLE 1: INITIAL ISSUANCE OF A COMBINED SVR/FFW
WGUS55 KTWC DDHHMM
FFWTWC
AZC019-132000-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
1135 AM MST TUE AUG 13 2002
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A
* COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY IN ARIZONA
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING UNTIL 12 NOON MST
FLASH FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 100 PM MST.
* AT 1135 AM MST... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR
INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER
CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY...OR ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF ROBLES
JUNCTION...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 10 MPH.
* THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO REMOTE DESERT AREA 10 MILES
WEST OF ROBLES JUNCTION BY 12 NOON.
DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN
AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH OVER HIGHWAY 286 ABOUT 10 MILES
SOUTH OF ROBLES JUNCTION. BE PREPARED FOR DAMAGING WIND AND NEAR
ZERO VISIBILITY DUE TO BLOWING DUST.
RAINFALL TOTALS IN EXCESS OF TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THIS
AREA. WASHES THAT MAY OVERFLOW WILL BE ALTAR WASH...FRESNAL WASH
AND BOLA BLANCAS WASH. EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL
CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY
ROADS...NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND ARROYOS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND
ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.
NEVER ATTEMPT TO CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS BY FOOT OR CROSS
ROADWAYS COVERED BY WATER. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD
BE ABANDONED QUICKLY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
A COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT
DAMAGING WIND... HAIL... AND FLOODING ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
LAT...LON 3196 11155 3182 11138 3193 11123 3207 11142
/END OF EXAMPLE 1/
EXAMPLE 2: FOLLOW UP STATEMENT FOR A COMBINED SVR/FFW CANCELING
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT
WGUS85 KTWC DDHHMM
FLSTWC
AZC019-132000-
COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
1200 NOON MST TUE AUG 13 2002
...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY NEAR
ROBLES JUNCTION HAS EXPIRED...
...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY NEAR THREE
POINTS REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 PM...
THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE COMBINED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND
FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS NO LONGER PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS. THIS
THUNDERSTORM CONTINUES TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS. DOPPLER RADAR
ESTIMATES 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN AN AREA ABOUT 5
MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF ROBLES JUNCTION. SHERIFFS DEPUTIES
REPORT WATER FLOWING IN WASHES IN THE AREA. HIGHWAY 286 HAS BEEN
CLOSED SOUTH OF ROBLES JUNCTION DUE TO WATER FLOWING ACROSS THE
ROAD AT LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
THIS THUNDERSTORM CONTINUES TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND WASHES ARE
EXPECTED TO FLOW IN THE AREA UNTIL 100 PM. PERSONS IN THE AREA
SHOULD AVOID LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND NOT TRAVEL UNTIL WELL AFTER
THE STORM HAS ENDED.
/END OF EXAMPLE 2/
END
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