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The National Weather Service has issued a Special Weather Statement and a Flood Warning covering Genesee County. There is a strong thunderstorm expected to pass just south of Buffalo at 9:45 which has the potential to become severe. The flood warning is in effect until 1:30AM, and has been issued due to imminent or observed flooding of small creek and streams, underpasses and other low-lying areas. The Kensington Expressway in Buffalo has been partially closed due to flooding. Releases after the jump.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
907 PM EDT MON SEP 28 2009

NYZ010>012-085-290200-
ERIE NY-GENESEE NY-WYOMING NY-
907 PM EDT MON SEP 28 2009

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL PASS JUST SOUTH OF BUFFALO THROUGH 945 PM...

RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM CONTAINING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH APPROACHING SOUTH OF BUFFALO. EXPECT THIS STORM TO PASS JUST SOUTH OF BUFFALO NEAR LACKAWANNA THROUGH 945 PM. IN ADDITION...PERIODIC HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT.

THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND/OR DAMAGING WINDS.



FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
743 PM EDT MON SEP 28 2009

NYC009-013-029-037-121-290530-
/O.NEW.KBUF.FA.W.0003.090928T2343Z-090929T0530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
743 PM EDT MON SEP 28 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS IN...
  CATTARAUGUS COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...DUNKIRK...FREDONIA...
  ERIE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...AMHERST...WILLIAMSVILLE...WEST SENECA...TONAWANDA...LANCASTER...LACKAWANNA...KENMORE...HAMBURG...EAST AURORA...DEPEW...CHEEKTOWAGA...BUFFALO...
  GENESEE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BATAVIA...
  WYOMING COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...

* UNTIL 130 AM EDT

* AS OF 735 PM BUFFALO DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A BAND OF HEAVY LAKE EFFECT RAIN ACROSS THE AREA. THE HEAVIEST HAS BEEN ACROSS NORTHERN ERIE AND WESTERN GENESEE COUNTIES WHERE OVER 2 INCHES HAS FALLEN. IT HAS ALREADY CAUSED ROAD CLOSURES IN BUFFALO INCLUDING PART OF THE KENSINGTON EXPRESSWAY. THE BAND WILL SHIFT A LITTLE SOUTHWARD DURING THE LATE EVENING HOURS.

A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN REPORTED. STREAM RISES WILL BE SLOW AND FLASH FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED. HOWEVER...ALL INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS IMMEDIATELY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.