Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1991
Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at May 31, 1991, 12:50 PM CDT for Benton County, Linn County, Iowa. It was in force for 3 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 31, 1991, 12:50 PM CDT (17:50 UTC)
- Expired
- May 31, 1991, 4:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Benton County, IA, Linn County, IA
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 12:00Z, 5.8 hours before the alert went out and 339 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
- NaN m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 75 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 62 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KDSM 311752 FFWDSM IAC011-113-312100- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1250 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 1991 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 400 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA ...BENTON COUNTY...LINN COUNTY AT 1245 PM...VERY SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DUMP HEAVY RAINS IN THE VINTON...GARRISON...AND SHELLSBURG AREAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. VINTON IS ABOUT 30 MILES WEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS. SEVERAL SMALL STREAMS WERE NEAR BANKFULL AT THIS TIME. A SHERIFF DEPUTY REPORTED OPPOSSUM CREEK NEAR HIGHWAY 218 WAS ABOUT TO COVER THE ROAD. SATURATED GROUNDS AND RAINS FROM THIS MORNING WILL COMPOUND THE FLOODING SITUATION. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE CEDAR RAPIDS AREA BETWEEN 130 AND 400 PM. A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND. MCQUIR}TER
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, May 31, 10:58 AM CDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
IAZ002-003-007-311630- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND AREA WEATHER UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 1050 AM CDT FRI MAY 31 1991 AT 1050 AM CDT TWO LINES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTHEAST IOWA...THE FIRST WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR PRARIE DU CHEIN WISCONSIN 30 MILES SOUTH OF LACROSS TO CEDAR RAPIDS IOWA...THE SECOND WAS LOCATED FROM CLARKSVILLE...20 MILES NORTHWEST OF WATERLOO TO ELDORA...35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WATERLOO. THESE THUNDERSTORM LINES WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...1.31 INCHES AT WATERLOO...1.53 AT WELLSBURG...1.75 IN SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY. FREQUENT LIGHTNING ALSO ACCOMPANIED THE THUNDERSTORMS WITH EVEN SOME HAIL REPORTED AT 3/4 INCH. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING NORTHEAST IOWA CAN EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT TIMES WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 70S TO NEAR 80 DEGREES. THE WINDS WILL BE SOUTH 5 TO 10 MILES AN HOUR... HOWEVER THEY WILL BE STRONG AND GUSTY NEAR THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, May 31, 11:42 AM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
IAZ002-003-007-311730- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND AREA WEATHER UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 1135 AM CDT FRI MAY 31 1991 AT 1135 AM CDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A 40 MILE WIDE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED FROM THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER SOUTH OF ROCHESTER MINNESOTA TO HUDSON...10 MILES SOUTH OF WATERLOO IOWA. THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR REINBECK WHICH IS 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WATERLOO AND 10 MILES EAST OF WAVERLY OR 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF WATERLOO. BOTH OF THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING NORTHEAST IOWA CAN EXPECT SHO WERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT TIMES WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 70S TO NEAR 80 DEGREES. THE WINDS WILL BE SOUTH 5 TO 10 MILES AN HOUR... HOWEVER THEY WILL BE STRONG AND GUSTY NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. TS
Special weather statement, May 31, 11:55 AM CDT, 55 minutes before
IAZALL-311745- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1145 AM CDT FRI MAY 31 1991 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A SMALL PART OF EASTERN IOWA UNTIL 5 PM... AT 1135 AM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL IOWA. THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WERE LOCATED OVER GRUNDY CENTER...OR 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WATERLOO...AND OVER MARSHALLTOWN... OR 55 MILES NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES. OTHER INTENSE STORMS WERE IN A 10 MILE WIDE BAND FROM GUTHRIE CENTER SOUTH TO GREENFIELD...ABOUT 50 MILES EAST OF DES MOINES. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF AN AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THU/NDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHEAST THIRD AND AN AREA OF WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL IOWA. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. BARLOW/RICHTER
Special weather statement, May 31, 12:19 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
IAZ010-311815- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1218 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 1991 ...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN CENTRAL IOWA... AT 1215 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED RAPID THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ABOUT 25 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES...IN DALLAS COUNTY. WHILE THE STORM DID NOT APPEAR TO BE SEVERE...IT WAS PRODUCING EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS...ALONG WITH SOME SMALL HAIL. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AT P20 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL BE MOVING ACROSS DALLAS AND POLK COUNTIES...AND THE CITY OF DES MOINES...BETWEEN 1215 AND 115 PM THIS AFTERNOON. BARLOW/TRUETT
Special weather statement, May 31, 12:31 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
IAZ011-311900- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1230 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 1991 ...HEAVY RAINS FALLING OVER PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL IOWA... AT 1230 PM...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO TRAIN OVER PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL IOWA. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUED TO PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...AND MAYBE SOME SMALL HAIL. PERSONS LIVING IN LOW LYING AREAS AND NEAR SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS SHOU MONTIOR THE LATEST STATEMEN^TS. THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE RAINBAND EXTENDED FROM MARSHALLTOWN...TO BELLE PLAINS TO CEDAR RAPIDS. JM
Special weather statement, May 31, 12:32 PM CDT, 18 minutes before
IAZ002-003-007-311830- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND AREA WEATHER UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 1230 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 1991 AT 1230 PM CDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A 50 MILE WIDE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED FROM THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER SOUTH OF LACROSS WISCONSIN TO TAMA...35 MILES SOUTH OF WATERLOO. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND WERE PRODUCING SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MOVE OUT OF NORTHEAST IOWA THIS AFTERNOON AROUND 2 PM CDT...HOWEVER CONDITIONS ARE SET UP FOR MORE RAINFALL DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES OVER NORTHEAST IOWA SHOULD CLIMaB INTO THE 80S WITH VARIABLE WINDS DUE TO THE SHOWER ACTIVITY OF 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 5:06 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Hamilton, Hardin | 54 min |
| May 31, 5:34 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Franklin | 56 min |
| May 31, 8:22 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Bremer, Butler | 68 min |
| May 31, 9:23 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Buchanan | 67 min |
| May 31, 10:59 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Marshall | 31 min |
| May 31, 12:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Polk | 39 min |
| May 31, 2:51 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Iowa, Johnson | 3 hr |
| May 31, 2:51 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Poweshiek | 3 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 1991Every flash flood warning in 1991
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.