Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 16, 1990Johnson County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 16, 1990, 9:48 AM CDT for Johnson County, Iowa. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 16, 1990, 9:48 AM CDT (14:48 UTC)
Expired
Jun 16, 1990, 12:45 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Johnson 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 12:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 400 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 12:00Z on 1990-06-16Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1990-06-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 241 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
3656 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
241 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
237 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 161450
FFWDSM
IAC103-161745-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
948 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1245 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA
          ...JOHNSON
 
HEAY RAINS HAVE BEEN FALLING IN JOHNSON COUNTY OR BETWEEN 15 AND 30
MILES TO THE SOUTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS.
 
THESE HEAVY RAINS HAVE CAUSED WATER TO GO OVER MANY COUNTY ROADS.
AT 930 AM A CAR WAS WASHED FROM A COUNTY ROAD NEAR SOLON.
 
IN ADDITION...RADAR INDICATES MORE HEAVY RAINS WILL MOVE INTO JOHNSON
COUNTY BETWEEN 10 AM AND 11 AM AND WILL ADD TO THE FLOOD THREAT.
 
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.
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT.  IT'S
IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR
CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS.  CAMPERS SHOULD
AVOID CAMPING ALONG STREAMS OR CREEKS DURING THREATENING RAINS.
 
WHEINBRECHT/MAY

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 16, 3:59 AM CDT, 5 hours 49 minutes before
IAZALL-160930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
350 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF IOWA TONIGHT...

AT 335 AM...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
CONTINUED OVER THE NORTHERN THREE QUARTERS OF IOWA. MOST OF THE SHOWERS
AND STORMS WERE LOCATED NORTH OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE
OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS AREA EAST TO 15 MILES NORTH OF BURLINGTON.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED 25 MILES SOUTH OF WATERLOO...NEAR
VINTON...35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES...OR 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
GREENFIELD AND 60 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES AT CUMBERLAND. THESE
STORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AND NEARLY CONTINUOUS DEADLY
LIGHTNING.

ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING BACK INTO THE WEST CENTRAL
COUNTIES OF IOWA...BETWEEN SIOUX CITY AND OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS. VERY
HEAVY RAINS HAVE ALREADY FALLEN IN THIS AREA SO ANY ADDITIONAL
RAINS WILL RESULT IN RAPID RUNOFF INTO AREA RIVERS. OVERNIGHT
IT APPEARS THAT THE HEAVIEST RAINS HAVE FALLEN OVER HARRISON...
MONONA AND WOODBURY COUNTIES. PEOPLE LIVING IN THIS AREA SHOULD
MONITOR THE LATEST RIVER LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE
ACTION IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 4:04 AM CDT, 5 hours 44 minutes before
IAZALL-160930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTED TO ADD MOVEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
350 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF IOWA TONIGHT...

AT 335 AM...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
CONTINUED OVER THE NORTHERN THREE QUARTERS OF IOWA. MOST OF THE SHOWERS
AND STORMS WERE LOCATED NORTH OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE
OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS AREA EAST TO 15 MILES NORTH OF BURLINGTON.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED 25 MILES SOUTH OF WATERLOO...NEAR
VINTON...35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES...OR 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
GREENFIELD AND 60 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES AT CUMBERLAND. THESE
STORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AND NEARLY CONTINUOUS DEADLY
LIGHTNING.

ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING BACK INTO THE WEST CENTRAL
COUNTIES OF IOWA...BETWEEN SIOUX CITY AND OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS. VERY
HEAVY RAINS HAVE ALREADY FALLEN IN THIS AREA SO ANY ADDITIONAL
RAINS WILL RESULT IN RAPID RUNOFF INTO AREA RIVERS. OVERNIGHT
IT APPEARS THAT THE HEAVIEST RAINS HAVE FALLEN OVER HARRISON...
MONONA AND WOODBURY COUNTIES. PEOPLE LIVING IN THIS AREA SHOULD
MONITOR THE LATEST RIVER LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE
ACTION IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 4:52 AM CDT, 4 hours 56 minutes before
IAZALL-161030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
445 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF IOWA TONIGHT...

AT 435 AM...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND WIDELY SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
CONTINUED OVER THE NORTHERN THREE QUARTERS OF IOWA. MOST OF THE SHOWERS
AND STORMS WERE LOCATED NORTH OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES NORTH OF OMAHA/
COUNCIL BLUFFS SOUTHEAST TO 15 MILES NORTH OF BURLINGTON.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE NEAR HARLAN...ADAIR...GREENFIELD...JUST WEST
OF DES MOINES AND JUST NORTH OF WASHINGTON. HARLAN IS 35 MILES NORTHEAST
OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS...ADAIR IS 45 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES...
GREENFIELD IS 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES...WHILE WASHINGTON IS
ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS.

VERY HEAVY RAINS AND NEARLY CONTINUOUS DEADLY LIGHTNING WILL OCCUR WITH
THESE STORMS.

HEAVY RAINS WERE MOVING BACK THROUGH THE NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN SUBURBS
OF DES MOINES...STREET FLOODING AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS IS
LIKELY. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED NOT TO ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH LOW
LYING AREAS WHERE FLOODING IS OCCURRING.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 6:54 AM CDT, 2 hours 54 minutes before
IAZALL-161030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
6 45 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF IOWA TONIGHT...

AT 635 AM...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
CONTINUED IN THE NORTH HALF OF IOWA...AND EXTENDED INTO PARTS OF SOUTH
CENTRAL...SOUTHWEST AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED IN CENTRAL IOWA BETWEEN DES MOINES AND
ST(ORY CITY...ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES...AND IN EAST CENTRAL
IOWA ABOUTH 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DAVENPORT.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

SCOTT
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 7:53 AM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
IAZALL-161030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
7 45 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF IOWA TONIGHT...

AT 740 AM...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED IN MOST
OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF IOWA...AND EXTENDED INTO PARTS OF CENTRAL
IOWA.  A FEW SHOWERS WERE ALSO LOCATED IN A NARROW BAND...ABOUT 15 MILES
WIDE...EXTENDING FROM SPENCER TO MASON CITY.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED IN CENTRAL IOWA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDED FROM CRESTON...ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES...TO
GRINNELL...ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 MILvES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 9:43 AM CDT, 5 minutes before
IAZALL-161530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
945 AM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF IOWA TODAY...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA
   TILL 11 AM....

AT 940 AM...A NARROW BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS WAS
INDICATED FROM SOUTHCENTRAL INTO EAST CENTRAL IOWA.  THIS BAND OF STORMS
EXTENDED FROM JUST EAST OF CLARINDA...ABOUT 75 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DES
MOINES...TO CEDAR RAPIDS.   THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING EXTREMELY HEAVY
RAINFALLS.

NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO OVER MUCH OF
THE REMAINDER OF EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...AN<D SCATTERED
PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL AN SOUTHWEST IOWA.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 16, 6:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas, Polk62 min
Jun 16, 6:17 AM CDTTornado WarningDMXPolk43 min
Jun 16, 6:41 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXPolk3 hr
Jun 16, 7:12 AM CDTTornado WarningDMXJasper33 min
Jun 16, 7:22 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXDallas4 hr
Jun 16, 9:16 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXMarion, Warren3 hr
Jun 16, 1:36 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXUnion114 min
Jun 16, 1:36 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMahaska54 min
Jun 16, 1:36 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXKeokuk, Wapello44 min
Jun 16, 2:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDavis, Jefferson, Van Buren44 min
Jun 16, 4:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair39 min
Jun 16, 5:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMadison, Union30 min
Jun 16, 5:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWapello26 min
Jun 16, 5:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMadison26 min
Jun 16, 6:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClarke29 min

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.