Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1992

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Des Moines, IA

July 15, 19924 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 15, 1992, 8:30 PM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 15, 1992, 8:30 PM CDT (01:30 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 1992, 10:30 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Decatur County, IA, Ringgold County, IA, Taylor County, IA, Union County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOVN), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 187 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 1992-07-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1427 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 1992-07-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 66 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1427 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-91 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
684 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
4.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 160132
FFWDSM
IAC159-175-173-053-160330-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
830 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
 
   ...RINGGOLD COUNTY...UNION COUNTY...DECATUR
 
IN SOUTHWEST IOWA
 
   ...TAYLOR COUNTY
 
BETWEEN 6 AND 815 PM HEAVY RAINS OF UP TO 5 INCHES HAVE FALLEN IN TAYLOR
RINGGOLD UNION AND DECATUR COUNTIES OR ABOUT 70 MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST
OF DES MOINES.
 
THIS HEAVY RAIN IS CAUSING A RAPID RISE OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS.
THESE STREAMS WILL SOON OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS COVERING MANY ROADS WITH
WATER.
 
AT 820 PM UNION COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED DITCHES FULL AND MANY CREEKS AT
BANKFUL. WATER WAS OVER THE ROAD AT THE INTERSECTION OF J13 AND HIGHWAY
25 IN TAYLOR COUNTY.
 
AT 825 PM CLEARFILED IN TAYLOR COUNTY REPORTED STREET FLOODING.
 
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 GROUNDh.
 
CEW

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, Jul 15, 6:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
IAZALL-160040-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
645 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT...

AT 630 PM CDT...A LINE OF SCATTERED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED
OVER THE WEST HALF OF IOWA.  THE LINE OF STORMS WAS 60 MILES WIDE AND WAS
CENTERED FROM THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY
...TO 45 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES NEAR GUTHRIE CENTER...TO 45 MILES WEST
OF LAMONI.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS OCCURRING 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES
MOINES NEAR GREENFIELD.  PEA TO DIME SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 70
MILES AN HOUR WERE REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

RICHTER/FILLBACH
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before
IAZALL-160045-

SPECIAL WEATHER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
650 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

A SMALL PART OF THE TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST IOWA HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM THE WATCH...

HARRISON...POTTAWATTAMIE...AND MILLS.

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN THE EAST PART OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY...BUT
THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS SHIFTED TO EAST.

THE REMAINDER OF THE TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM
THIS EVENING.
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 7:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-160200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR NORTHEAST IOWA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
710 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...

AT 710 PM THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND INTENSE LIGHTNING
WERE IN THE MANLY/MASON CITY AREA AND 20 MILES WEST OF MASON CITY.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

BY 7 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE IN THE MASON CITY...NORA SPRINGS
CLEAR LAKE...BRITT AND OSAGE AREAS OF NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. ELSEWHERE
ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA THERE WILL BE A CLOUD/SUN MIX WITH TEMPERATURES
75 TO 80 DEGREES.  THE WINDS WILL BE SOUTH 10 TO 20 MILES AN HOUR.

RR
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 7:45 PM CDT, 45 minutes before
IAZALL-160140-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
744 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT...

AT 730 PM CDT...A LINE OF SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS
LOCATED OVER THE CENTRAL THIRD OF IOWA.  THE LINE OF STORMS WAS 65 MILES
WIDE AND WAS CENTERED FROM THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER 25 MILES NORTH OF
MASON CITY...45 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES NEAR JEFFERSON...TO 30
MILES WEST OF LAMONI.  AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS OCCURRING 15 MILES
NORTHEAST OF FORT DODGE.  PEA TO DIME SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 70 MILES
AN HOUR WERE REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

RICHTER/FILLBACH
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 8:19 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-160200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR NORTHEAST IOWA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
810 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA...

AT 810 PM THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST AND SOUTHEAST
IN NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THE SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND VIVID LIGHTNING.

BY 910 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WILL BE IN AND NEAR THE CITIES
OF MASON CITY/CHARLES CITY/OSAGE/HAMPTON AND NEW HAMPTON. THE REST
OF NORTHEAST IOWA WILL BE MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH TEMPERATURES STARTING
TO FALL INTO THE LOW 70S.

RR
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 8:28 PM CDT, 2 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-160200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR NORTHEAST IOWA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA...CORRECTION
825 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...THERE IS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...

AT 810 PM THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST AND SOUTHEAST
IN NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THE SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND VIVID LIGHTNING.

BY 910 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WILL BE IN AND NEAR THE CITIES
OF MASON CITY/CHARLES CITY/OSAGE/HAMPTON AND NEW HAMPTON. THE REST
OF NORTHEAST IOWA WILL BE MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH TEMPERATURES STARTING
TO 4FALL INTO THE LOW 70S.

RR

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 7:05 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXWebster40 min
Jul 15, 7:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHamilton, Wright26 min
Jul 15, 7:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHamilton46 min
Jul 15, 9:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAppanoose, Wayne40 min
Jul 15, 9:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPolk, Story49 min
Jul 15, 9:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLucas, Monroe46 min
Jul 15, 9:15 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXBoone2 hr
Jul 15, 9:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDavis, Van Buren49 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.