Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993
Flash Flood Warning 10, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at May 4, 1993, 7:55 AM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 4 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 4, 1993, 7:55 AM CDT (12:55 UTC)
- Expired
- May 4, 1993, 12:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Davis County, IA, Jefferson County, IA, Van Buren County, IA, Wapello County, IA
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 354 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
- 975 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 20 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 16 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 6 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 KDSM 041252 FFWDSM IAC051-101-105-177-179-183-041700- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 755 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS EXTENDED THE FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 12 NOON CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION(S)... IN SOUTHEAST IOWA ...DAVIS COUNTY...JEFFERSON COUNTY...KEOKUK COUNTY ...VAN-BUREN COUNTY...WAPELLO COUNTY...WASHINGTON COUNTY A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. THIS WARNING AFFECTS THE FOLLOWING CITIES OF SOUTHEAST IOWA: OTTUMWA... SIGOURNEY...WASHINGTON...BLOOMFIELD...AND FAIRFIELD. AT 750 AM CDT...DES MOINES RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW AN AREA OF SHOWERS EXTENDING FROM IOWA CITY SOUTH TO BLOOMFIELD...WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINS LOCATED NEAR WASHINGTON SOUTHWARD TO FAIRFIELD. THIS AREA HAS ALREADY RECEIVED HEAVY RAINS DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN THIS MORNING. THE AREA OF RAIN WAS MOVING VERY SLOWLY TO THE NORTHWEST WHICH WILL ONLY ADD TO THE FLOOD DANGER IN THIS AREA. 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 GROUND. MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. SMITH
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 4, 5:45 AM CDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
IAZALL-041135- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 543 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993 ...FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 8AM THIS MORNING... AT 533 AM CDT...SHOWERS...SOME PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED OVER EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. THESE SHOWERS WERE LOCATED ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF BLOOMFIELD NORTH TO MARENGO. BLOOMFIELD IS 20 MILES SOUTH OF OTTUMWA WHILE MARENGO IS ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS. THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE IN EASTERN WAPELLO AND WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTIES. PARTS OF WAPPELO COUNTY IN PARTICULAR THE OTTUMWA AREA HAS HAD VERY HEAVY RAINS OVER THE PAST TWO DAYS AND ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL RAPIDLY RUNOFF INTO AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS. ANOTHER CLUSTER OF SHOWERS WAS SITUATED OVER NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA BETWEEN WATERLOO AND MASON CITY. THE SHOWERS WERE DRIFTING NORTHWEST AT 5 TO 10 MILES AN HOUR. BA*RLOW
Special weather statement, May 4, 6:40 AM CDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
IAZALL-041235- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 640 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993 ...FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 8AM THIS MORNING... AT 634 AM CDT...SHOWERS...SOME PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED OVER EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. THESE SHOWERS WERE LOCATED ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF BLOOMFIELD NORTH TO MARENGO. BLOOMFIELD IS 20 MILES SOUTH OF OTTUMWA WHILE MARENGO IS ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS. THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE IN EASTERN WAPELLO AND WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTIES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 1 TO 2 INCH RANGE WITH A FEW LOCATIONS EXCEEDING 2 INCHES. A SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS PERSISTED OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA BETWEEN WATERLOO AND MASON CITY. THE SHOWERS WERE DRIFTING NORTHWEST AT 5 MILES AN HOUR ALTHOUGH THE SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS BETWEEN MASON CITY AND WATERLOO SHOWED LITTLE IF ANY MOVEMENT SINCE 530 AM CDT. BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 4, 6:42 AM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
IAZALL-041235- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 640 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993 ...FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 8AM THIS MORNING... AT 634 AM CDT...SHOWERS...SOME PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED OVER EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. THESE SHOWERS WERE LOCATED ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF BLOOMFIELD NORTH TO MARENGO. BLOOMFIELD IS 20 MILES SOUTH OF OTTUMWA WHILE MARENGO IS ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS. THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE IN EASTERN WAPELLO AND WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTIES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 1 TO 2 INCH RANGE WITH A FEW LOCATIONS EXCEEDING 2 INCHES. A SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS PERSISTED OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA BETWEEN WATERLOO AND MASON CITY. THE SHOWERS WERE DRIFTING NORTHWEST AT 5 MILES AN HOUR ALTHOUGH THE SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS BETWEEN MASON CITY AND WATERLOO SHOWED LITTLE IF ANY MOVEMENT SINCE 530 AM CDT. BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 4, 7:40 AM CDT, 15 minutes before
IAZALL-041335- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 740 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993 ...FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 8AM THIS MORNING... AT 733 AM CDT...SHOWERS...SOME PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED OVER EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. THESE SHOWERS WERE LOCATED ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF MOULTON NORTH TO OSKALOOSA THEN NORTHEAST THROUGH CEDAR RAPIDS TO DUBUQUE. MOULTON IS 25 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF OTTUMWA WHILE OSKALOOSA IS ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF OTTUMWA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS REPORTED BETWEEN OTTUMWA AND BURLINGTON HAVE BEEN IN THE 1 TO 2 INCH RANGE AND ADDITIONAL RAIN IS EXPECTED THROUGH MID MORNING. SIGNIFICANT RISES ON AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS CAN BE EXPECTED. A SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS PERSISTED OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA BETWEEN WATERLOO...MASON CITY AND MARSHALLTOWN. MARSHALLTOWN IS 45 MILES NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES. THE SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHWEST AT 5 MILES AN HOUR...ALTHOUGH THE SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA HAS MOVED LITTLE IN THE PAST TWO HOURS. BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 4, 7:43 AM CDT, 12 minutes before
IAZALL-041335- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 740 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993 ...FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 8AM THIS MORNING... AT 733 AM CDT...SHOWERS...SOME PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED OVER EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. THESE SHOWERS WERE LOCATED ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF MOULTON NORTH TO OSKALOOSA NORTHEAST THROUGH CEDAR RAPIDS TO DUBUQUE. MOULTON IS 25 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF OTTUMWA WHILE OSKALOOSA IS ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF OTTUMWA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS REPORTED BETWEEN OTTUMWA AND BURLINGTON HAVE BEEN IN THE 1 TO 2 INCH RANGE AND ADDITIONAL RAIN IS EXPECTED THROUGH MID MORNING. SIGNIFICANT RISES ON AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS CAN BE EXPECTED. A SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS PERSISTED OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA BETWEEN WATERLOO AND MASON CITY AND MARSHALLTOWN. MARSHALLTOWN IS 45 MILES NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES. THE SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHWEST AT 5 MILES AN HOUR...ALTHOUGH THE SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA HAS MOVED LITTLE IN THE PAST TWO HOURS. BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 4, 7:51 AM CDT, 4 minutes before
IAZALL-041335- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 740 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993 ...FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 8AM THIS MORNING... AT 733 AM CDT...SHOWERS...SOME PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED OVER EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. THESE SHOWERS WERE LOCATED ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF MOULTON NORTH TO OSKALOOSA THEN NORTHEAST THROUGH CEDAR RAPIDS TO DUBUQUE. MOULTON IS 25 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF OTTUMWA WHILE OSKALOOSA IS ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF OTTUMWA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS REPORTED BETWEEN OTTUMWA AND BURLINGTON HAVE BEEN IN THE 1 TO 2 INCH RANGE AND ADDITIONAL RAIN IS EXPECTED THROUGH MID MORNING. SIGNIFICANT RISES ON AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS CAN BE EXPECTED. A SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS PERSISTED OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA BETWEEN WATERLOO...MASON CITY AND MARSHALLTOWN. MARSHALLTOWN IS 45 MILES NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES. THE SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHWEST AT 5 MILES AN HOUR...ALTHOUGH THE SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA HAS MOVED LITTLE IN THE PAST TWO HOURS. BARLOW
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 4:59 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Davis, Jefferson, Van Buren, Wapello | 3 hr |
| May 4, 4:59 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Washington | 3 hr |
| May 4, 4:59 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Jones | 3 hr |
| May 4, 7:55 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Washington | 4 hr |
| May 4, 7:55 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Jones | 4 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 1993Every flash flood warning in 1993
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.