Tornado Warning 4, NWS Des Moines, IA

Issued

May 8, 1988, 1:33 PM CDT (18:33 UTC)

Expired

May 8, 1988, 2:00 PM CDT

In force

27 min

Issued by

NWS Des Moines, IA

Area

Whole counties

County Poweshiek County, IA

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

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.

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 081833
TORDSM
IAC157-081900-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
133 PM CDT SUN MAY 8 1988

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 200 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE CENTRAL PART OF IOWA
      SOUTHEAST POWESHIEK

AT 129 PM...A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY WEATHER RADAR
OR 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF OTTUMWA.  THE TORNADO WAS MOVING NORTH-
EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL AFFECT THE TOWNS MONTEZUMA
DEEP RIVER AND BROOKLYN.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS IN A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.  IF
NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR.  IF YOU ARE IN A VEHICLE OR MOBILE HOME...LEAVE IT AT
ONCE AND TAKE SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING OR IN A DITCH.

MCQUIRTER

In the hours before

<PQ<
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
735 AM CST SUN MAY 8 1988

AT 730 AM CDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT
30 MILES WIDE FROM AMES TO MARSHALLTOWN TO NEAR WATERLOO.
HEAVIEST STORM WES NEARING WATERLOO AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST AT
45 MILES AN HOUR.

PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL...STRONG SURFACE WINDS...AND HEAVY RAINS CAN
BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OFF THESE STORMS.
JOHNSON

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988

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.