Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 22, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 19, 1990Marion County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 19, 1990, 11:55 PM CDT for Marion County, Iowa. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 19, 1990, 11:55 PM CDT (04:55 UTC)
Expired
Jun 20, 1990, 4:00 AM CDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Marion County, IA

The radar

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

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 4.9 hours before the alert went out and 273 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 1990-06-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 1990-06-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -66 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3628 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
74 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 200459
FFWDSM
IAC123-125-105-181-201100-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1155 PM CDT TUE JUN 19 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  600 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
          ...MAHASKA...MARION
IN SOUTHEAST IOWA
          ...KEOKUK...WASHINGTON
 
3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER MARION...MAHASKA...
KEOKUK...AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES SINCE 8 PM. THIS 4 COUNTY AREA STRETCHEFROM 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DES MOINES TO 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF OTTUMWA. 
ALTHOUGH THE RAIN HAS JUST ABOUT ENDED...EXTREMELY SERIOUS FLOODING WILLCONTINUE THROUGHOUT THESE COUNTIES DURING THE NIGHT...AS THE RUNOFF
FROM THE HEAVY RAINS TRIES TO DRAIN INTO ALREADY FLOODED CREEKS.
 
WOLF CREEK NEAR WHAT CHEER WAS CAUSING DANGEROUS FLOODING OF A BRIDGE
ON HIGHWAY 21...AND OTHER SERIOUS FLOODING IS ALMOST CERTAINLY
OCCURRING OVER MANY COUNTY AND RURAL ROADS.
 
THIS WARNING INCLUDES THE CITIES OF PELLA...NEW SHARON...OSKALOOSA...
EDDYVILLE...WHAT CHEER...SIGOURNEY...KEOTA...RICHLAND...AND
WASHINGTON.
 
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.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
TRUETT

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 19, 9:46 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
IAZALL-200345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IOWA
945 PM CDT TUE JUN 19 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WEST HALF OF IOWA UNTIL
10 PM CDT THIS TUESDAY EVENING...
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST ONE QUARTER OF IOWA...
...A FLASH FLOOD/FLOOD WATCH FOR EAST AND SOUTH IOWA TONIGHT...

AT 926 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED RAPIDLY OVER SOUTHWEST AND
SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA FROM SOUTHEAST OF SHENANDOAH NEAR BEDFORD TO SOUTH
OF DES MOINES NEAR OSCEOLA.  THE LARGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED
NEAR DIAGONAL...10 MILES SOUTH OF CRESTON AND 10 MILES WEST
OF OSCEOLA.   THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS AND
HAIL.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO OVER THE SOUTHEAST COUNTIES.  THESE
STORMS WERE IN A 25 MILE WIDE BAND LOCATED FROM PELLA...35 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF DES MOINES TO WAPPELLO...30 MILES NORTH OF BURLINGTON.
THE LARGEST STORM IN THIS AREA WAS LOCATED 15 MILES NORTH OF
OTTUMWA NEAR SIGOURNEY.

ALL OF THE THUNDERSTORMS IN IOWA WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN
HOUR.

DLF
Special weather statement, Jun 19, 10:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
IAZ003-007-008-200320-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1000 PM CDT TUE JUN 19 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR NORTHEAST IOWA HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR NORTHEAST IOWA IS NO LONGER IN
EFFECT.

ALTHOUGH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN NORTHEAST IOWA...THEY ARE
NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

TRUETT
Special weather statement, Jun 19, 10:19 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
IAZALL-200400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IOWA
1015 PM CDT TUE JUN 19 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH IOWA UNTIL 1 AM...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
   UNTIL 3 AM...
...A FLASH FLOOD/FLOOD WATCH FOR EAST AND SOUTH IOWA TONIGHT...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO RUMBLE OVER SOUTHERN IOWA.  AT 1005 PM
...A 25 MILE WIDE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTHEAST OF
CRESTON NEAR LAMONI TO NORTHEAST OF OTTUMWA NEAR WASHINGTON.

AN INTENSE STORM WAS LOCATED 50 MILES SOUTH OF DES MOINES...OR JUST
NORTH OF LAMONI.  HIGH WINDS...HAIL AND TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL OCCUR
WITH THIS STORM.

OTHER LARGE STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR CHARITON...SOUTH OF KNOXVILLE
NEAR MELCHER AND NORTHEAST OF OTTUMWA NEAR SIGOURNEY.  EXTREMELY HEAVY
RAINS WILL ACCOMPANY THE THUNDERSTORMS.  THE STORMS DROPPED 3 INCHES
OF RAIN NORTH OF OSKALOOSA AT NEW SHAR-ON THIS EVENING.

ALL OF THE THUNDERSTORMS IN IOWA WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN
HOUR.

DLF
Special weather statement, Jun 19, 10:22 PM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
IAZ002-003-007-200500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
1020 PM CDT TUE JUN 19 1990

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR NORTHEAST IOWA THAT WAS IN EFFECT
UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT H/AS BEEN CANCELLED.

ALSO THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT TONIGHT HAS ALSO BEEN
CANCELLED FOR NORTHEAST IOWA.
Special weather statement, Jun 19, 10:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
IAZALL-200430-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IOWA
1045 PM CDT TUE JUN 19 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH IOWA UNTIL 1 AM...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
   UNTIL 3 AM...
...A FLASH FLOOD/FLOOD WATCH FOR EAST AND SOUTH IOWA TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORMS WITH EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL WERE OVER SOUTH
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA.  AT 1031 PM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA NORTH OF LAMONI AND IN THE SOUTHEAST
SECTION...NORTHWEST OF BURLINGTON NEAR BRIGHTON.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A 25 MILE WIDE BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
THAT EXTENDED FROM THE IOWA/MISSOQURI BORDER SOUTH OF CRESTON TO NORTH
OF OTTUMWA THEN EAST TO WAPELLO...NORTH OF BURLINGTON.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

DLF
Special weather statement, Jun 19, 11:40 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
IAZALL-200530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IOWA
1145 PM CDT TUE JUN 19 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH IOWA UNTIL 1 AM...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
   UNTIL 3 AM...
...A FLASH FLOOD/FLOOD WATCH FOR EAST AND SOUTH IOWA TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER THE FAR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
COUNTIES.  AT 1126 PM...AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER
SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...JUST SOUTH OF LAKE RATHBUN...NEAR SEYMOUR.
EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS ARE OCCURRING WITH STORM.  THE STORM MAY ALSO
PRODUCE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS.

ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST COUNTIES
...JUST WEST OF BURLINGTON.  THIS STORM WAS ALSO PRODUCING EXTREMELY
HEAVY RAINS.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A 25 MILE WIDE BAND OF SCATTERED THUNDER-
STORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM LAMONI TO EAST OF BURLINGTON.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

DLF

The office that day

Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 19, 7:04 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXMarion, Warren5 hr
Jun 19, 7:04 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXMadison5 hr
Jun 19, 8:05 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXKeokuk, Mahaska4 hr
Jun 19, 8:05 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXWashington4 hr
Jun 19, 8:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJones49 min
Jun 19, 8:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMahaska49 min
Jun 19, 8:38 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXAppanoose, Davis, Monroe, Wapello7 hr
Jun 19, 8:38 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXJefferson, Van Buren7 hr
Jun 19, 8:45 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMarion30 min
Jun 19, 8:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWinneshiek42 min
Jun 19, 9:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClarke, Union45 min
Jun 19, 9:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDecatur, Ringgold48 min
Jun 19, 9:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXKeokuk, Mahaska62 min
Jun 19, 9:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAllamakee30 min
Jun 19, 9:19 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXClarke, Decatur, Lucas, Wayne5 hr
Jun 19, 9:19 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXRinggold, Union5 hr
Jun 19, 9:42 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXDecatur, Ringgold48 min
Jun 19, 10:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWarren46 min
Jun 19, 10:23 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXDecatur37 min
Jun 19, 10:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWayne33 min
Jun 19, 11:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAppanoose29 min
Jun 19, 11:55 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXKeokuk, Washington6 hr
Jun 19, 11:55 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXMahaska6 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 1990Every flash flood warning in 1990

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.