Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993
Flash Flood Warning 101, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 11, 1993, 8:57 PM CDT for Marion County, Iowa. It was in force for 3 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 11, 1993, 8:57 PM CDT (01:57 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 12, 1993, 12:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Marion County, IA
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 273 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
- 613 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -27 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 872 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 29 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 134 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 101 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.3
- Supercell composite
- 4.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KDSM 120156 FFWDSM IAC125-120500- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 857 PM CDT WED AUG 11 1993 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION(S)... IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA ...MARION COUNTY AT 855 PM RADAR INDICATED TORRENTIAL RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS IN MARION COUNTY. 4.25 INCHES OF RAIN HAS OCCURRED IN INDIANOLA DURING THE LAST TWO HOURS. SOME STREAMS IN THE WARNING AREA ARE...LONG BRANCH...ENGLISH...HICKORY...AND THUNDER CREEKS. SOME CITIES IN THE WARNING AREA...PLEASANTVILLE...KNOXVILLE...AND HARVEY 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.
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, Aug 11, 5:55 PM CDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
IAZALL-120130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...SPELLING CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 555 PM CDT WED AUG 11 1993 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL BE MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA THIS EVENING... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WILL BE TRACKING ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA...INCLUDING THE DES MOINES METRO AREA BETWEEN 6 AND 8 PM THIS WEDNESDAY EVENING. AS THE STORMS MOVED ACROSS GUTHRIE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA...NEARLY A FOOT OF WATER WAS OVER HIGHWAY 295 NEAR THE TOWN OF MENLOW...OR ABOUT 40 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES. IN ADDITION...NEARLY 3 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR AND A HALF IN THE TOWN OF ANITA IN CASS COUNTY ...OR 60 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR WITH ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OCCURRING TO THE WEST OF THIS AREA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY EXCEED 3 INCHES IN ISOLATED AREAS OF CENTRAL IOWA AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA THIS EVENING. IF YOU SEE WATER OVER A ROADWAY...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH IT. IF YOU LIVE NEAR A FLOOD PRONE CREEK OR STREAM...BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. SMITH
Special weather statement, Aug 11, 5:55 PM CDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
IAZALL-120130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...SPELLING CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 555 PM CDT WED AUG 11 1993 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL BE MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA THIS EVENING... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WILL BE TRACKING ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA...INCLUDING THE DES MOINES METRO AREA BETWEEN 6 AND 8 PM THIS WEDNESDAY EVENING. AS THE STORMS MOVED ACROSS GUTHRIE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA...NEARLY A FOOT OF WATER WAS OVER HIGHWAY 295 NEAR THE TOWN OF MENLOW...OR ABOUT 40 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES. IN ADDITION...NEARLY 3 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR AND A HALF IN THE TOWN OF ANITA IN CASS COUNTY ...OR 60 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR WITH ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OCCURRING TO THE WEST OF THIS AREA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY EXCEED 3 INCHES IN ISOLATED AREAS OF CENTRAL IOWA AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA THIS EVENING. IF YOU SEE WATER OVER A ROADWAY...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH IT. IF YOU LIVE NEAR A FLOOD PRONE CREEK OR STREAM...BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. SMITH
Special weather statement, Aug 11, 6:27 PM CDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before
IAC123-C125-150000- SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 627 PM CDT WED AUG 11 1993 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MAHASKA COUNTY UNTIL 645 PM... ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR MARION COUNTY EXPIRED AT 630 PM... AT 625 PM...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR OSKALOOSA IN CENTRAL MAHASKA COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH AND IT WILL MOVE THROUGH OSKALOOSA AND FREEMONT BY 645 PM. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE EAST OF MARION COUNTY AND THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...MOVE TO SAFE INDOOR SHELTER. JOHNSON
Special weather statement, Aug 11, 6:50 PM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
IAZALL-120045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 650 PM CDT WED AUG 11 1993 AT 635 PM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL IOWA. THE STORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM 35 MILES NORTHWEST TO 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES...IN A 20 MILE WIDE BAND CENTERED FROM PERRY TO JUST SOUTH OF GREENFIELD. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. THE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM COUNCIL BLUFFS...TO FORT DODGE...TO BURLINGTON. MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WAS NORTHEAST AT AROUND 25 MILES AN HOUR. KALLMAN
Special weather statement, Aug 11, 7:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
IAZALL-120145- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 748 PM CDT WED AUG 11 1993 AT 730 PM CDT...ISOLATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER SOUTHWEST...CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. THE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 20 MILE WIDE BAND EXTENDING FROM 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES NEAR GREENFIELD...TO NEAR DES MOINES...TO 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DES MOINES NEAR MONROE. ANOTHER VERY STRONG STORM WAS LOCATED JUST EAST OF OTTUMWA. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...WIND GUSTS TO 30 MILES AN HOUR...NEARLY CONTINUOUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. THE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING GENERALLY SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST OF FORT DODGE NEAR SAC CITY...TO 35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WATERLOO NEAR MARSHALLTOWN...TO BURLINGTON. MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WAS EAST AT AROUND 25 MILES AN HOUR. KALLMAN
Special weather statement, Aug 11, 8:50 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
IAZALL-120245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 850 PM CDT WED AUG 11 1993 AT 835 PM CDT...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED OVER SOUTHWEST...CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. ONE AREA OF STORMS WAS 20 MILES WIDE EXTENDING FROM 70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES NEAR BEDFORD...TO 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DES MOINES NEAR KNOXVILLE...TO 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES. OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF OTTUMWA NEAR SIGOURNEY AND 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF BURLINGTON NEAR MOUNT PLEASANT. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAIN... NEARLY CONTINUOUS LIGHTNING...WINDS TO 30 MILES AN HOUR AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. THE EXTREME RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AND LOW-LYING AREAS. THE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM SHENANDOAH...TO FORT DODGE... TO DAVENPORT. SHENANDOAH IS 40 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COUNCIL BLUFFS. THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST AT AROUND 25 MILES AN HOUR. KALLMAN
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 7:04 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Dallas | 116 min |
| Aug 11, 7:31 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Polk, Warren | 3 hr |
| Aug 11, 8:09 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Jasper | 3 hr |
| Aug 11, 9:47 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Mahaska, Poweshiek | 119 min |
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.