Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 49, NWS Des Moines, IA

July 5, 1993Benton County, Johnson County, Linn County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 5, 1993, 3:19 AM CDT for Benton County, Johnson County, Linn County, Iowa. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 5, 1993, 3:19 AM CDT (08:19 UTC)
Expired
Jul 5, 1993, 7:00 AM CDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Benton County, IA, Johnson County, IA, Linn County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 00:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 356 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1993-07-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 78 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1993-07-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 38 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
78 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-75 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1507 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
38 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
79 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 050819
FFWDSM
IAC011-103-113-051200-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
319 AM CDT MON JUL 5 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  700 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION(S)S...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA
 
   ...SOUTHEASTERN BENTON COUNTY...NORTHWESTERN JOHNSON COUNTY
   ...LINN COUNTY
 
HEAVY RAINFALL OF 2 TO 4 INCHES HAS FALLEN OVER BENTON...LINN...AND
JOHNSON COUNTIES. SOILS IN THESE AREAS WERE ALREADY SATURATED FROM
PREVIOUS RAINS. REPORTS FROM THE CEDAR RAPIDS AREA INDICATE 3.59 INCHES
OF RAINFALL SINCE 600 PM SUNDAY...MUCH OF IS SINCE MIDNIGHT. THERE HAVE
BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF ROAD CLOSURES IN CEDAR RAPIDS.
 
THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL HAS PASSED TO THE EAST OF THE AREA.  ADDITIONAL
RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS.  THIS WILL LIKELY
CAUSE FURTHER FLASH FLOODING.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INT`O 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, Jul 5, 12:49 AM CDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before
IAZALL-050645-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1245 AM CDT MON JUL 5 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
   SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 5 AM MONDAY...

AT 1231 AM CDT...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER SOUTHWEST
...SOUTH CENTRAL...AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA...AND WERE SPREADING INTO
SOUTHEAST IOWA.  MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTH OF A CLARINDA/
DES MOINES/CENTRAL CITY LINE...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
HAD DEVELOPED NORTH OF THIS LINE.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE SYSTEM OF NUMEROUS RAINSHOWERS THAT
WAS SPREAD OVER THE SOUTH ONE HALF TO TWO THIRDS OF THE STATE.  MOST
OF THE RAIN WAS SOUTH OF A IDA GROVE/WEBSTER CITY/ELKADER LINE.  IDA
GROVE IS 45 MILES EAST OF SIOUX CITY...WEBSTER CITY IS 55 MILES NORTH
OF DES MOINES...AND ELKADER IS 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF DUBUQUE.
.
THE STORMS CONTAIN VERY HEAVY pRAINS AND WERE DEVELOPING AND MOVING
OVER THE SAME AREA FOR THE PAST 2 TO 3 HOURS.  EXPECT SOME STREAMS
TO OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.

MILLER
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 12:50 AM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
IAZALL-050645-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...INCLUDING MOVEMENT...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1245 AM CDT MON JUL 5 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
   SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 5 AM MONDAY...

AT 1231 AM CDT...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER SOUTHWEST
...SOUTH CENTRAL...AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA...AND WERE SPREADING INTO
SOUTHEAST IOWA.  MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTH OF A CLARINDA/
DES MOINES/CENTRAL CITY LINE...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
HAD DEVELOPED NORTH OF THIS LINE.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE SYSTEM OF NUMEROUS RAINSHOWERS THAT
WAS SPREAD OVER THE SOUTH ONE HALF TO TWO THIRDS OF THE STATE.  MOST
OF THE RAIN WAS SOUTH OF A IDA GROVE/WEBSTER CITY/ELKADER LINE.  IDA
GROVE IS 45 MILES EAST OF SIOUX CITY...WEBSTER CITY IS 55 MILES NORTH
OF DES MOINES...AND ELKADER IS 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF DUBUQUE.
.
THE STORMS CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAINS AND WERE DEVELOPING AND MOVING
OVER THE SAME AREA FOR THE PAST 2 TO 3 HOURS.  EXPECT SOME STREAMS
TO OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.

THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES ArN HOUR.

MILLER
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 1:45 AM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
IAZALL-050745-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
145 AM CDT MON JUL 5 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
   SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 5 AM MONDAY...

AT 130 AM CDT...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER SOUTH
CENTRAL...SOUTHEAST...AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA.  THESE STORMS WERE HEAVY
RAIN PRODUCERS AND WERE MOSTLY SOUTH OF A WINTERSET/DES MOINES/CENTRAL
CITY/DYERSVILLE LINE.  WINTERSET IS 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES
...CENTRAL CITY IS 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF CEDAR RAPIDS...AND DYERSVILLE
IS 20 MILES WEST OF DUBUQUE.

THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS AND ALREADY SWOLLEN STREAMS
IN THESE AREAS COULD FLOW OVER THEIR BANKS AND LOW LYING AREAS COULD
EXPERIENCE FLOODING.  THE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE AREA FOR FLOODING IS THE
SOUTH CENTRAL COUNTIES WHERE FLOOD WARNINGS HAVE BEEN POSTED.
.
THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE SYSTEM OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS THAT
COVERED MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST TWO THIRDS OF THE STATE...SOUTH OF A
ONAWA/MASON CITY LINE.

THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

MILLER
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 1:46 AM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
IAZALL-050745-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
145 AM CDT MON JUL 5 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
   SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 5 AM MONDAY...

AT 130 AM CDT...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER SOUTH
CENTRAL...SOUTHEAST...AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA.  THESE STORMS WERE HEAVY
RAIN PRODUCERS AND WERE MOSTLY SOUTH OF A WINTERSET/DES MOINES/CENTRAL
CITY/DYERSVILLE LINE.  WINTERSET IS 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES
...CENTRAL CITY IS 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF CEDAR RAPIDS...AND DYERSVILLE
IS 20 MILES WEST OF DUBUQUE.

THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS AND ALREADY SWOLLEN STREAMS
IN THESE AREAS COULD FLOW OVER THEIR BANKS AND LOW LYING AREAS COULD
EXPERIENCE FLOODING.  THE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE AREA FOR FLOODING IS THE
SOUTH CENTRAL COUNTIES WHERE FLOOD WARNINGS HAVE BEEN POSTED.
.
THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE SYSTEM OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS THAT
COVERED MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST TWO THIRDS OF THE STATE...SOUTH OF A
ONAWA/MASON CITY LINE.

THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

MILLER
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 2:45 AM CDT, 34 minutes before
IAZALL-050845-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
245 AM CDT MON JUL 5 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
   SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 5 AM MONDAY...

AT 230 AM CDT...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER SOUTH
CENTRAL...SOUTHEAST...AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WAS
LOCATED 60 MILES SOUTH OF DES MOINES...NEAR MOUNT AYR.  MOST OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTH OF A CRESTON/CEDAR RAPIDS/MONTICELLO LINE.
CRESTON IS 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES AND MONTICELLO IS 30
MILES NORTHEAST OF CEDAR RAPIDS.  ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
ALSO 15 TO 25 MILES EAST OF SIOUX CITY.

THESE STORMS WERE HEAVY RAIN PRODUCERS AND COULD CAUSE STREAMS TO
OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS AND SOME FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.  PEOPLE IN
THESE AREAS ARE URGED TO MONITOR WEATHER REPORTS AND BE PREPARED TO
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
.
THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE SYSTEM OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS THAT
COVERED MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST THREE FOURTHS OF THE STATE...SOUTH OF
A SIOUX CITY/MASON CITY LINE.

THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

MILLER
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 2:46 AM CDT, 33 minutes before
IAZALL-050845-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
245 AM CDT MON JUL 5 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
   SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 5 AM MONDAY...

AT 230 AM CDT...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER SOUTH
CENTRAL...SOUTHEAST...AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WAS
LOCATED 60 MILES SOUTH OF DES MOINES...NEAR MOUNT AYR.  MOST OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTH OF A CRESTON/CEDAR RAPIDS/MONTICELLO LINE.
CRESTON IS 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES AND MONTICELLO IS 30
MILES NORTHEAST OF CEDAR RAPIDS.  ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
ALSO 15 TO 25 MILES EAST OF SIOUX CITY.

THESE STORMS WERE HEAVY RAIN PRODUCERS AND COULD CAUSE STREAMS TO
OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS AND SOME FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.  PEOPLE IN
THESE AREAS ARE URGED TO MONITOR WEATHER REPORTS AND BE PREPARED TO
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
.
THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE SYSTEM OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS THAT
COVERED MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST THREE FOURTHS OF THE STATE...SOUTH OF
A SIOUX CITY/MASON CITY LINE.

THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

MILLER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 4, 11:27 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXDecatur3 hr
Jul 5, 12:54 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXClarke, Decatur, Lucas, Ringgold, Union5 hr
Jul 5, 12:54 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXMahaska, Marion5 hr
Jul 5, 2:46 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXIowa, Keokuk, Poweshiek4 hr
Jul 5, 1:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdams, Taylor26 min
Jul 5, 1:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdams11 min
Jul 5, 2:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDecatur, Wayne36 min
Jul 5, 2:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAppanoose, Lucas, Wayne27 min
Jul 5, 2:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMonroe20 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.