Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1992

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Des Moines, IA

July 15, 1992Boone County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 15, 1992, 9:15 PM CDT for Boone County, Iowa. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 15, 1992, 9:15 PM CDT (02:15 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 1992, 11:15 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Boone County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOVN), launched 00:00Z, 2.3 hours before the alert went out and 218 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 160218
FFWDSM
IAC015-160415-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
915 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1115 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN CENTRAL IOWA
 
   ...BOONE COUNTY
 
BETWEEN 8 AND 910 PM THIS EVENING HEAVY RAINS OF TWO TO 3.5 INCHES FELL
ACROSS BOON COUNTY.
 
THESE HEAVY RAINS CAUSED STREET FLOODING IN BOON AND WAS CAUSING CREEKS
AND STREAMS TO FILL RAPIDLY.  THESE STREAMS WILL SOON OVERFLOW THEIR
BANKS FLOODING SOME ROADWAYS.
 
AT 915 PM RADAR INDICATED THAT THE HEAVY RAINS WAS AVOUT OVER IN BOON
BUT WILL CONTINUE IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE COUNTY UNTIL 930 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.  NEVFER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL
ONE...ON FOOT.  TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
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, 8:19 PM CDT, 56 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, 47 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
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 8:32 PM CDT, 43 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
830 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...THERE IS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 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, 8:46 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
IAZALL-160245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
8XX PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN IOWA
UNTIL 1 AM CDT THURSDAY MORNING...

AT 831 PM CDT...AN AREA OF SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND
ISOLATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS INDICATED OVER THE CENTRAL THIRD OF
IOWA.  THE AREA WAS 80 MILES WIDE AND WAS CENTERED ALONG A LINE FROM
WEBSTER CITY TO LAMONI.  THE INTENSE STORMS WERE LOCATED AT LAMONI...
45 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES EAST OF COON RAPIDS...AND 10 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF WEBSTER CITY.  PEA TO DIME SIZED HAIL...WIND GUSTS TO 70
MILES AN HOUR...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

RICHTER/FILLBACH
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 8:47 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
IAZALL-160245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTION FOR TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
845 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN IOWA
UNTIL 1 AM CDT THURSDAY MORNING...

AT 831 PM CDT...AN AREA OF SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND
ISOLATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS INDICATED OVER THE CENTRAL THIRD OF
IOWA.  THE AREA WAS 80 MILES WIDE AND WAS CENTERED ALONG A LINE FROM
WEBSTER CITY TO LAMONI.  THE INTENSE STORMS WERE LOCATED AT LAMONI...
45 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES EAST OF COON RAPIDS...AND 10 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF WEBSTER CITY.  PEA  TO DIME SIZED HAIL...WIND GUSTS TO 70
MILES AN HOUR...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

RICHTER/FILLBACH
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 9:06 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-160300-

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

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

AT 900 PM THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST IN NORTHEAST
IOWA AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY
RAIN AND VIVID LIGHTNING.

BY 1010 PM CDT THUNPDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WILL BE IN AND NEAR THE CITIES
OF DUMONT/ALLISON/WATERLOO/WAVERLY/NASHUA/DECORAH AND NEW HAMPTON. THE
REST OF NORTHEAST IOWA WILL BE MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH THUNDERSTORMS AND
SHOWERS BY MIDNIGHT.

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, 8:30 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXDecatur, Ringgold, Taylor, Union2 hr
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, 9:41 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.