Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1992
Tornado Warning 19, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Jul 15, 1992, 6:56 PM CDT for Union County, Iowa. It was in force for 34 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 15, 1992, 6:56 PM CDT (23:56 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 15, 1992, 7:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Union County, IA
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 6:57 PM CDT | Tornado F1 | Union, IA |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOVN), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 181 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
- 190 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -258 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1188 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 208 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 254 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KDSM 160002 RRA TORDSM IAC175-160030- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 656 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 730 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA ...NORTHERN UNION COUNTY AT 655 PM CDT A SHERIFF RERPORTED A TORNADO THREE MILES NORTH OF CRESTON OR 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. THIS STORM WAS MOVING AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THIS WARNING REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORN WARNING THAT WAS ISSUED EARLIER FOR NORTHERN UNION COUNTY. CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO INCLUDE...CRESTON...AFTON...THAYER... AND ARISPE. 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. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSI@BLE. AVOID WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
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 15, 6:03 PM CDT, 53 minutes before
IAC081-191-160000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 600 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992 AT 6 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 20 MILES EAST OF FOREST CITY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT THE FOREST CITY AREA IN THE NEXT HOUR. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...DEADLY LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL... AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS AS IT MOVES THROGH THIS AREA.
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:13 PM CDT, 43 minutes before
IAZALL-150015- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 611 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT... AT 6 PM CDT...SCATTERED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER THE WEST HALF OF IOWA. THE STORMS WERE LOCATED 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF POCAHONTAS...AND WITHIN A 15 MILE WIDE AREA THAT WAS CENTERED FROM 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES NEAR GREENFIELD TO 25 MILES EAST OF COUNCIL BLUFFS/OMAHA. IN ADDITION...AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 35 MILES WEST OF LAMONI NEAR BEDFORD. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN... DEADLY LIGHTNING...PEA TO DIME SIZED HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS. WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR...THE ISOLATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS LEADING EDGE WILL BE LOCATED AT A LINE EXTENDING FROM 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY ...TO 25 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES...TO LAMONI. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. RICHTER
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:25 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-160200- WEATHER UPDATE FOR NORTHEAST IOWA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 620 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA... AT 610 PM SHOWERS AND SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE FOREST CITY AREA SOME 20 NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY. THESE THUNDESTORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN... S TRONG GUSTY WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO THE MASON CITY AND MANLY AREA BY 7 PM CDT AND WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. MG
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:26 PM CDT, 30 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 620 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA... AT 610 PM SHOWERS AND SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE FOREST CITY AREA SOME 20 NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY. THESE THUNDESTORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN... STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO THE MASON CITY AND MANLY AREA BY 7 PM CDT AND WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. MG
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:47 PM CDT, 9 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, 6 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.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 5:52 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Audubon, Cass | 53 min |
| Jul 15, 6:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adair, Union | 40 min |
| Jul 15, 6:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Taylor | 41 min |
| Jul 15, 6:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Ringgold | 51 min |
| Jul 15, 6:45 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Cass | 45 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.