Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Des Moines, IA

July 2, 1992Story County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Jul 2, 1992, 9:50 AM CDT for Story County, Iowa. It was in force for 20 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 2, 1992, 9:50 AM CDT (14:50 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 1992, 10:10 AM CDT
In force
20 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Story County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOVN), launched 12:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 254 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 1992-07-02Temperature 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1992-07-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 124 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
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
368 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 021454
TORDSM
IAC169-IAC127-021515-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
950 AM CDT THU JUL 2 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN CENTRAL IOWA
 
   ...SOUTHERN STORY COUNTY AND SOUTHERN MARSHALL
 
AT 945 AM...DES MOINES RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 5 MILES SOUTH OF NEVADA
IN SOUTHERN STORY COUNTY OR 25 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES.
 
THE TORNADO WAS MOVING EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT THE
COMMUNITIES OF IOWA CENTER...RHOADES AND MELBOURNE PLUS RURAL AREAS.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
MYERS

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 2, 8:50 AM CDT, 1 hour before
IAZALL-021440-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
747 AM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS WESTERN IOWA...

AT 825 AM CDT...A LINE OF SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS INDICATED
OVER THE WEST HALF OF IOWA.  THE LINE WAS 25 MILES WIDE AND WAS
CENTERED FROM 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF COUNCIL BLUFFS/OMAHA NEAR DENISON
TO THE IOWA/MISSOURI 55 MILES SOUTHEAST OF OMAHA NEAR CLARINDA.  A VERY
STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OCCURRING 65 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES NEAR
AUDUBON.

IN ADDITION...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER THE SOUTHEAST
QUATER OF IOWA GENERALLY SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM DUBUQUE TO 35 MILES
SOUTH OF OTTUMWA.

THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...AND PEA SIZED HAIL.

RICHTER/FILLBACH
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 9:24 AM CDT, 26 minutes before
IAZ060-021540-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
920 AM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS ENTERING THE WEST SIDE OF THE
DES MOINES METROPOLITAN AREA.

THUS FAR...NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN RECEIVED...HOWEVER
STRONG WINDS...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND SOME HAIL WILL OCCUR WITH THESE
STORMS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1/2 TO 1 INCH ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS IN A
SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.  THIS WILL CAUSE SOME STREET FLOODING IN AND
AROUND THE CITY.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT NEARLY 50 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL PASS
EAST OF THE CITY BY AROUND 1015 AM THIS MORNING.
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 9:38 AM CDT, 12 minutes before
IAZ060-021540-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
937 AM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

  ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM FOR A LARGE PART OF IOWA...

A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO ADVANCE EAST AT 45 MILES
AN HOUR ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA.  THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LINE EXTENDED
FROM BOONE...DES MOINES TO THAYER.  THIS IS 40 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST
OF DES MOINES TO 40 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES.

INTENSE RAINFALL WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY...40 TO 55 MILE AN HOUR
WINDS AND PEA-SIZED HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED.

THE LINE SHOULD BE NEAR THE COMMUNITES OF STATE CENTER...NEWTON AND
CHARITON BY 1035 AM.

MYERS
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 9:45 AM CDT, 5 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>29-038>040-021600

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR NORTHEAST IOWA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
930 AM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL
   2PM CDT...

AT 940 AM CDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS CROSSING THE I35 AREA.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EASTERLY AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.
ELSEWHERE IT WAS MOSTLY CLOUDY ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA.

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE I35 CORRIDOR WILL BE MOVING INTO
NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA BETWEEN 1030 AND 1130 AM CDT.  THESE
ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS STORMS AND SHOULD BE WATCHED CLOSELY.  THEY
WILL EFFECT THE HAMTPON...GRUNDY CENTER..CONRAD...ALLISON AND THE
PARKERSBURG AREA...THEN ON TO THE WATERLOO METRO AREA.

RR
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 9:45 AM CDT, 5 minutes before
IAZALL-021540-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
844 AM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

...A TORNADO WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF IOWA UNTIL 2 PM CDT...

AT 928 AM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN CENTRAL IOWA.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 25 TO 30 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES.
THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS TO 60 MILES
AN HOUR...AND SMALL HAIL.

THE MENTIONED STORMS WERE PART OF AN AREA OF SCATTERED STRONG STORMS OVER
THE WEST HALF OF IOWA...MAINLY WEST OF A LINE FROM ALGONA...TO JUST EAST
OF DES MOINES...THEN TO LAMONI.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST 45 MILES AN HOUR.

RICHTER
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 9:48 AM CDT, 2 minutes before
IAZALL-021540-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...COR FOR TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
944 AM CDT THU JUL 2 1992

...A TORNADO WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF IOWA UNTIL 2 PM CDT...

AT 928 AM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN CENTRAL IOWA.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 25 TO 30 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES.
THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS TO 60 MILES
AN HOUR...AND SMALL HAIL.

THE MENTIONED STORMS WERE PART OF AN AREA OF SCATTERED STRONG STORMS OVER
THE WEST HALF OF IOWA...MAINLY WEST OF A LINE FROM ALGONA...TO JUST EAST
OF DES MOINES...THEN TO LAMONI.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST 45 MILES AN HOUR.

RICHTER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 1, 11:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford55 min
Jul 2, 1:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAudubon61 min
Jul 2, 2:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair, Cass44 min
Jul 2, 9:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPolk, Story34 min
Jul 2, 9:50 AM CDTTornado WarningDMXMarshall25 min
Jul 2, 9:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper34 min
Jul 2, 10:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXGrundy51 min
Jul 2, 10:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPoweshiek, Tama24 min
Jul 2, 10:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBenton42 min
Jul 2, 10:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk46 min
Jul 2, 10:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXGrundy23 min
Jul 2, 10:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXKeokuk43 min
Jul 2, 11:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAppanoose37 min
Jul 2, 11:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDavis, Wapello30 min
Jul 2, 2:58 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMahaska32 min
Jul 2, 3:12 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXKeokuk, Wapello21 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes 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.