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Aflash flood watch (SAME code: FFA; also referred as a "green box" bymeteorologists) issevere weather watch product of theNational Weather Service that is issued when conditions are favorable forflash flooding inflood-prone areas, usually when grounds are already saturated from recent rains, or when upcoming rains will have the potential to cause a flash flood. These watches are also occasionally issued when adam may break in the near future.[1]
Countries such as Australia also issue similarly worded warnings.[2]
Below is an example issued by the National Weather Service inMount Holly, New Jersey.
688WGUS61 KPHI 071932FFAPHIURGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTEDFlood WatchNational Weather Service Mount Holly NJ332 PM EDT Wed Jul 7 2021NJZ001-007-PAZ054-055-060>062-080745-/O.NEW.KPHI.FF.A.0003.210708T1600Z-210709T1600Z//00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/Sussex-Warren-Carbon-Monroe-Berks-Lehigh-Northampton-Including the cities of Jim Thorpe, Allentown, Newton, Washington,Bethlehem, Stroudsburg, Reading, and Easton332 PM EDT Wed Jul 7 2021...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGHFRIDAY MORNING...The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a* Flash Flood Watch for portions of northern New Jersey...and Pennsylvania...including the following areas...in northern New Jersey...Sussex and Warren. In Pennsylvania...Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, and Northampton.* From Thursday afternoon through Friday morning.* Heavy rainfall will develop over portions of eastern PA and NW New Jersey ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa Thursday afternoon. The heavy rains will see 1 to 2 inches with locally higher amounts and then will see another 1 to 2 inches with the heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Elsa Thursday evening through the overnight hours.* Heavy rain in short periods of time will cause the potential for streams and creeks to quickly rise out of their banks as well as the potential for flash flooding in areas of poor drainage.$$DEZ001>004-MDZ012-015-019-020-NJZ008>010-012>027-PAZ070-071-101>106-080745-/O.NEW.KPHI.FF.A.0003.210708T2100Z-210709T1600Z//00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/New Castle-Kent-Inland Sussex-Delaware Beaches-Kent MD-Queen Annes-Talbot-Caroline-Morris-Hunterdon-Somerset-Middlesex-Western Monmouth-Eastern Monmouth-Mercer-Salem-Gloucester-Camden-NorthwesternBurlington-Ocean-Cumberland-Atlantic-Cape May-Atlantic Coastal CapeMay-Coastal Atlantic-Coastal Ocean-Southeastern Burlington-Delaware-Philadelphia-Western Chester-Eastern Chester-Western Montgomery-Eastern Montgomery-Upper Bucks-Lower Bucks-Including the cities of Glassboro, Denton, Jackson, Flemington,Media, Philadelphia, Doylestown, Chalfont, Morristown, Pennsville,Honey Brook, Centreville, Norristown, Georgetown, Mount Holly, OceanCity, Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Freehold, Pottstown, Hammonton, CapeMay Court House, Oxford, Kennett Square, Sandy Hook, Chestertown,Morrisville, West Chester, Millville, Wilmington, New Brunswick,Dover, Trenton, Lansdale, Wharton State Forest, Atlantic City,Collegeville, Long Beach Island, Camden, Easton, Perkasie, RehobothBeach, and Somerville332 PM EDT Wed Jul 7 2021...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGHFRIDAY MORNING...The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a* Flash Flood Watch for portions of Delaware...northeast Maryland... New Jersey...and southeast Pennsylvania...including the following areas...in Delaware...Delaware Beaches, Inland Sussex, Kent, and New Castle. In northeast Maryland...Caroline, Kent MD, Queen Annes, and Talbot. In New Jersey...Atlantic, Atlantic Coastal Cape May, Camden, Cape May, Coastal Atlantic, Coastal Ocean, Cumberland, Eastern Monmouth, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Northwestern Burlington, Ocean, Salem, Somerset, Southeastern Burlington, and Western Monmouth. In southeast Pennsylvania...Delaware, Eastern Chester, Eastern Montgomery, Lower Bucks, Philadelphia, Upper Bucks, Western Chester, and Western Montgomery.* From Thursday afternoon through Friday morning.* Tropical Storm Elsa will move across portions of DelMarVa, New Jersey, and eastern PA Thursday night, bringing heavy rainfall to the region. Expected rainfall totals across DelMarVa and New Jersey range from 2 to 3 inches, with locally higher amounts up to 5 inches possible. Further west of the I-95 corridor could expect to see 1-2 inches, with locally higher amounts to 3 inches possible.* Heavy rain in short periods of time will cause the potential for streams and creeks to quickly rise out of their banks as well as the potential for flash flooding in urban areas.$$Deal
Source:[3]
If a flash flood watch is likely to lead to a majorflash flood disaster, then enhanced wording with the wordsThis is a particularly dangerous situation (PDS) can be added to the watch; this is occasionally issued.Below is an example issued by the National Weather Service inMemphis, Tennessee.
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 239 PM CDT SUN APR 24 2011 ...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THIS WEEK WILL LIKELY LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT...WIDESPREAD FLASH FLOODING... ...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION... A BOUNDARY WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN STATIONARY ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI INTO KENTUCKY THROUGH MONDAY. REPEATED ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL TRACK ALONG THE FRONT BRINGING HEAVY RAINFALL. THEN A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRACK ALONG IT INTO MISSOURI AND PUSH THE FRONT FURTHER SOUTH TO ALONG THE I-40 CORRIDOR MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL SHIFT THE HEAVY RAIN AXIS FURTHER SOUTH TO ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THE I-40 CORRIDOR. A SECOND LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRACK ALONG THE NEWLY STALLED BOUNDARY AND SET OFF ADDITIONAL TRAINING THUNDERSTORMS LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. THE FINAL COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...ENDING THE PERSISTENT HEAVY RAINFALL. ARZ026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MSZ001>014-TNZ003-004-019>021- 048>055-088>092-250400- /O.NEW.KMEG.FF.A.0007.110426T0000Z-110428T0000Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ CRAIGHEAD-POINSETT-MISSISSIPPI-CROSS- CRITTENDEN-ST. FRANCIS- LEE AR-PHILLIPS-DESOTO-MARSHALL-BENTON MS-TIPPAH-ALCORN- TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-TATE-PRENTISS- COAHOMA-QUITMAN-PANOLA-LAFAYETTE- UNION-WEAKLEY-HENRY-DYER-GIBSON-CARROLL-LAUDERDALE-TIPTON-HAYWOOD- CROCKETT-MADISON-CHESTER-HENDERSON- DECATUR-SHELBY-FAYETTE- HARDEMAN-MCNAIRY-HARDIN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...JONESBORO...HARRISBURG...BLYTHEVILLE... WYNNE...WEST MEMPHIS...FORREST CITY...HELENA... SOUTHAVEN... OLIVE BRANCH...CORINTH...IUKA...TUNICA...[[Booneville, Mississippi|BOONEVILLE]]... CLARKSDALE...BATESVILLE...OXFORD...NEW ALBANY... MARTIN... DRESDEN...PARIS...DYERSBURG...HUMBOLDT...MILAN...HUNTINGDON... COVINGTON...JACKSON...LEXINGTON...BARTLETT...GERMANTOWN... COLLIERVILLE...MEMPHIS...MILLINGTON...SOMERVILLE... BOLIVAR... SAVANNAH 239 PM CDT SUN APR 24 2011 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS...NORTH MISSISSIPPI AND WEST TENNESSEE...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN EAST ARKANSAS...CRAIGHEAD...CRITTENDEN...CROSS... LEE...MISSISSIPPI...PHILLIPS...POINSETT AND ST. FRANCIS. IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI...ALCORN...BENTON...COAHOMA...DESOTO... LAFAYETTE...MARSHALL...PANOLA...PRENTISS...QUITMAN...TATE... TIPPAH...TISHOMINGO...TUNICA AND UNION. IN WEST TENNESSEE... CARROLL...CHESTER...CROCKETT...DECATUR...DYER...FAYETTE... GIBSON...HARDEMAN...HARDIN...HAYWOOD...HENDERSON...HENRY... LAUDERDALE...MADISON...MCNAIRY...SHELBY...TIPTON AND WEAKLEY. * FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. * THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION * TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND NORTH OF I-40 WITH 2 TO 5 INCHES EXPECTED SOUTH OF I-40. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY. * RAINFALL AMOUNTS SUCH AS THESE MAY LEAD TO WIDESPREAD... SIGNIFICANT...AND LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING. THIS EVENT MAY BE AS SEVERE AS THE MAY 1–2, 2010 FLOODING IN PLACES. FLASH FLOODING OF CITIES...RURAL AREAS...RIVERS...AND SMALL STREAMS ARE POSSIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED. && $$ ARZ008-009-017-018-MOZ113-115-TNZ001-002-250400- /O.EXT.KMEG.FF.A.0006.000000T0000Z-110428T0000Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ RANDOLPH-CLAY-LAWRENCE-GREENE-DUNKLIN-PEMISCOT-LAKE-OBION- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WALNUT RIDGE...PARAGOULD...KENNETT... CARUTHERSVILLE...UNION CITY 239 PM CDT SUN APR 24 2011 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING... THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR * PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS...SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND WEST TENNESSEE...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN EAST ARKANSAS... CLAY...GREENE...LAWRENCE AND RANDOLPH. IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... DUNKLIN AND PEMISCOT. IN WEST TENNESSEE...LAKE AND OBION. * THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. * THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION * ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 9 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY. THIS...IN COMBINATION OF THE 2 TO 4 INCHES THAT HAVE ALREADY FALLEN MAY LEAD TO TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 12 INCHES IN MANY LOCATIONS. * RAINFALL AMOUNTS SUCH AS THESE WILL LIKELY LEAD TO WIDESPREAD... SIGNIFICANT...AND LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING. THIS EVENT MAY BE AS SEVERE AS THE MAY 1-2 2010 FLOODING IN MANY PLACES. FLASH FLOODING OF CITIES...RURAL AREAS...RIVERS...AND SMALL STREAMS ARE POSSIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED. && $$ BORGHOFF