Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1992
Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at May 16, 1992, 6:26 PM CDT for Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. It was in force for 4 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 16, 1992, 6:26 PM CDT (23:26 UTC)
- Expired
- May 16, 1992, 10:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Cerro Gordo County, IA
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 198 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
- 657 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 30 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 285 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 250 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 KALO 162331 FFWALO IAC033-170330- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 626 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WATERLOO HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA ...CERRO GORDO COUNTY AT 615 PM LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS IN CERRO GORDO COUNTY REPORTED THE WINNEBAGO RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES HAVE RISEN RAPIDLY TO BANKFUL. PEOPLE ALONG AND NEAR THE WINNEBAGO RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES CAN EXPECT FLASH FLOODING ACROSS THE COUNTY FROM 615 PM UNTIL 1030 PM CDT. MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE TO THE WEST OF CERRO GORDO COUNTY AND WILL PRODUCE MORE RAIN IN THE AREA. TOWNS AFFECTED BY THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING ARE FERTILE... MASON CITY...PORTLAND...WINNEBAGO HEIGHTS...EMERY AND FREEMAN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH RISING FLOOD WATERS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN YOUR VEHICLE IN RISING FLOOD WATERS...ABANDON IT IMMEDIATELY AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. RR/PC/MH
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 16, 3:51 PM CDT, 2 hours 35 minutes before
IAZALL-162140- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...COR FOR TORNADO WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 350 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992 .....A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT... AT 3 30 PM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED OVER NORTH CENTRAL IOWA 15 TO 20 MILES WEST OF MASON CITY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING HAIL...DAMAGING WIND UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. AT 3 20 PM A REPORT WAS RECEIVED OF 1 INCH HAIL 5 MILES WEST OF NORTHWOOD. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE URGED TO MONITOR WEATHER REPORTS AND SEEK SHELTER IF A STORM APPROACHES. THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS WERE MOVING NOURTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR... HOWEVER THE STORMS SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPING TO THE SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST IOWA. / MILLER
Special weather statement, May 16, 4:16 PM CDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
IAZALL-162215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR IOWA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 415 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992 AT 405 PM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 10 MILE WIDE LINE THAT EXTENDED FROM NEAR BODE...25 MILES NORTH OF FORT DODGE...TO THE MINNESOTA BORDER 20 MILES NORTH OF MASON CITY. WIND GUSTS OF 80 MILES AN HOUR WERE RECORDED AT MASON CITY AT 345 PM. HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE URGED TO EXCERCISE CAUTION... MONITOR WEATHER REPORTS...AND SEEK SHELTER IF NECESSARY. THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO4 40 MILES AN HOUR... HOWEVER THE STORM SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPINT TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST. THE OUTLOOK THROUGH 5 PM...CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF INTENSE THUNDER- STORMS INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST IOWA...AND MOVING INTO NORTHEAST IOWA. / MILLER
Special weather statement, May 16, 4:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
IAZALL-162240- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 440 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992 .....A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT... AT 4 25 PM CDT...VERY STRONG AND INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTHWEST...NORTH CENTRAL...AND NORTHEAST IOWA. THE 10 TO 15 MILE WIDE LINE OF STORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR LAKE CITY...65 MILE NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES...TO THE MASON CITY AREA...TO THE MINNESOTA BORDER 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY IN SOUTHEAST HANCOCK COUNTY AND NEAR LUVERNE ...45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY. THESE STORMS CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING AND COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. ALSO...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED OVER NORTHWEST IOWA NEAR CORRECTIONVILLE AND HOLSTEIN...30 TO 40 MILES EAST OF SIOUX CITY. / THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR...HOWEVER THE SYSTEM OF STORMS WAS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST. MILLER
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:17 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
IAZ002-003-007-170000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR NORTHEAST IOWA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 515 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992 ...A TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA... AT 515 PM CDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS SOME SEVERE WERE IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA FORM THE MINNESOTA BORDER NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY... SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE FORT DODGE AREA. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS DRIFTING SLOWLY EAST WITH THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR. OTHERWISE ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA SKIES WERE MOSTLY SUNNY WITH STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS 20 GUSTING AT TIMES TO 45 MILES AN HOUR. THE TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE 80S..EXCEPT IN STORM AREAS. THE THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA WILL SLOWLY SPREAD TO THE EAST THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. PEOPLE SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THESE STORMS AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES.
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:17 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
IAZALL-162340- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR IOWA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 515 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992 .....A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT... AT 5 05 PM CDT...VERY STRONG AND INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTHWEST...NORTH CENTRAL...AND NORTHEAST IOWA. A 10 TO 15 MILE WIDE LINE OF STORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR ROCKWELL CITY...65 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES...TO MASON CITY...TO THE MINNESOTA BORDER 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY. ALSO...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER NORTH- WEST IOWA NORTH OF A SIOUX CITY TO DENISON LINE. DENISON IS 50 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND SOME HAIL. DAMAGING WIND WAS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. / PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR...HOWEVER THE LINE OF STORMS OVER NORTH CENTRAL IOWA WAS MOVING VERY LITTLE AND THE STORMS OVER NORTHWEST IOWA WERE MOVNG SLOWLY EAST. THE OUTLOOK THROUGH 6 PM...CONTINUED VERY STRONG AND INTENSE THUNDER- STORMS OVER THE NORT%HWEST HALF OF IOWA. SOME SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP OVER FAR SOUTHEAST IOWA AS WELL. MILLER
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:46 PM CDT, 40 minutes before
IAZALL-162340- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 545 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992 .....A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT... AT 5 25 PM CDT...VERY STRONG AND INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER MUCH OF THE NORTHWEST THIRD OF IOWA. THE STORMS WERE NORTH OF A LINE THAT EXTENDED FROM 35 MILES NORTH OF COUNCIL BLUFFS TO WEBSTER CITY... 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY...TO THE MINNESOTA BORDER 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG WIND GUSTING TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND COULD PRODUCE SOME HAIL. SOME OF THESE STORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR...HOWEVER THE AREA OF STORMS WAS MOVING SLOWLY EAST. MILLER
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 3:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Worth | 39 min |
| May 16, 3:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Cerro Gordo, Hancock | 40 min |
| May 16, 4:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Cerro Gordo, Hancock | 50 min |
| May 16, 5:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Mitchell | 37 min |
| May 16, 5:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Cerro Gordo, Floyd | 40 min |
| May 16, 6:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun, Sac | 25 min |
| May 16, 6:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Pocahontas | 37 min |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 1992Every flash flood warning in 1992
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.