Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1987
Tornado Warning 5, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Jun 24, 1987, 9:51 PM CDT for Union County, Iowa. It was in force for 29 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Jun 24, 1987, 9:51 PM CDT (02:51 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 24, 1987, 10:20 PM CDT
- In force
- 29 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Union County, IA
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 9:55 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Union, IA |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 2.9 hours before the alert went out and 181 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 3564 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 42 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 79 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KDSM 250251 TORDSM IAC175-250320- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 951 PM CDT WED JUN 24 1987 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1020 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA... NORTHERN UNION AT 940 PM...A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND JUST EAST OF CRESTON...ABOUT 55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL AFFECT THE TOWNS OF AFTON...TALMAGE...AND THAYER. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT MOSTLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHERN UNION COUNTY. IF A TORNADO APPROACHES...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. A BASEMENT... INTERIOR HALLWAY...OR A ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR IS THE SAFEST PLACE IN MOST BUILDINGS. IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE HOME OR AN AUTOMOBILE...LEAVE AT ONCE. TAKE COVER IN A STORM SHELTER...OR LIE IN A NEARBY DITCH OR DEPRESSION. SCHUMACHER
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jun 24, 6:52 PM CDT, 2 hours 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 640 PM CDT WED JUN 24 1987 AT 630 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS CONTINUED IN CENTRAL IOWA NEAR TAMA AND MONTEZUMA...ABOUT 50 MILES NORTHEAST THROUGH EAST OF DES MOINES...AND ALSO NEAR MADRID...ABOUT 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES. INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO LOCATED IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA NEAR ONAWA...ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY. VERY HEAVY RAINS...WINDS TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...AND PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL MAY STILL BE EXPECTED FROM THESE STORMS. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL IOWA BETWEEN ONAWA AND POCAHONTAS. SCOTT
Special weather statement, Jun 24, 7:15 PM CDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
<PQ< SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 715 PM CDT WED JUN 24 1987 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER EAST CENTRAL IOWA... AT 715 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST CENTRAL IOWA. THE STORMS STRETCHED FROM NORTHEAST TAMA COUNTY...ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS...TO SOUTHERN POWESHIEK COUNTY NEAR MONTEZUMA...ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH BENTON...IOWA...AND EASTERN POWESHIEK COUNTIES... AND THE CITIES OF VINTON...BELLE PLAINE...MARENGO...AND WILLIAMSBURG BETWEEN 715 PM AND 8 PM THIS EVENING. WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR...PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL...AND EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE STORMS. < IF THE STORMS KEEP MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR...THEY SHOULD ENTER THE CEDAR RAPIDS AND IOWA CITY AREAS BETWEEN 8 AND 830 PM THIS EVENING. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS AS OF 715 PM. TRUETT
Special weather statement, Jun 24, 7:49 PM CDT, 2 hours 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 740 PM CDT WED JUN 24 1987 AT 730 PM...NUMEROUS INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN A BAND EXTENDING FROM WEST CENTRAL OOWA THROUGH CENTRAL INTO EAST CENTRAL IOWA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE CLUSTERED INTO THREE MAIN GROUPS. THE FIRST GROUP WAS LOCATED IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA BETWEEN LOGAN AND DENISON...OR ABOUT 30 TO 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF OMAHA. THE SECOND AREA WAS LOCATED ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES NEAR NEVADA...AND THE THIRD WAS LOCATED ABOUT 15 TO 30 MILES WEST THROUGH SOUTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS. VERY HEAVY RAINS...WINDS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR...AND PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL MAY STILL BE EXPECTED FROM THESE STORMS. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTHWEST IOWA ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER AND EXTENDING NORTH TO NEAR SIOUX FALLS...AND EAST TO NEAR FORT DODGE. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. SCOTT
Special weather statement, Jun 24, 8:49 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 840 PM CDT WED JUN 24 1987 AT 830 PM...A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED IN WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST IOWA...EXTENDING FROM FORT DODGE TO JUST SOUTH OF OMAHA. AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS WAS ALSO LOCATED IN SOUTH EAST IOWA ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF OTTUMWA. VERY HEAVY RAINS...WINDS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR...AND PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL MAY STILL BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS BLANKETED MOST OF THE REMAINDER OF NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL IOWA...AND A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAS1T AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. SCOTT
Special weather statement, Jun 24, 9:19 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
KDSM 250217 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 910 PM CDT WED JUN 24 1987 AT 900 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS BLANKETING MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTH WEST IOWA... EXTENDING FROM FORT DODGE TO ATLANTIC...AND SOUTH TO CLARINDA. VERY HEAVY RAINS...WINDS TO 60 MILES AN HOUR...AND PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THE PASSAGE OOF THESE STORMS. CITIES IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE ADAIR...BEDFORD...AND BOONE. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. SCOTT
Special weather statement, Jun 24, 9:51 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 940 PM CDT WED JUN 24 1987 AT 930 PM...A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS AND PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL EXTENDED FROM JUST NORTH OF BOONE IN CENTRAL IOWA TO BEDFORD IN SOUTHWEST IOWA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. CITIES IN THE PATH OF THE STORMS INCLUDE BOONE...STORY CITY AND CRESTON. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS BLANKETED MOST OF THE WEST HALF OF IOWA...EXCEPT FOR A SMALL PORTION OF NORTHWEST IOWA...AND EXTENDED INTO EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA BETWEEN OTTUMWA AND CEDAR RAPIDS. SCOTT
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 8:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Greene | 35 min |
| Jun 24, 8:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adams, Taylor | 51 min |
| Jun 24, 9:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adair, Madison | 63 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1987Every tornado warning in 1987Tornadoes in 1987
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.