Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 64, NWS Des Moines, IA

July 10, 1993Wayne County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 10, 1993, 8:39 PM CDT for Wayne County, Iowa. It was in force for 102 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 10, 1993, 8:39 PM CDT (01:39 UTC)
Expired
Jul 10, 1993, 10:21 PM CDT
In force
102 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Wayne County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 263 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 00:00Z on 1993-07-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3233 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 1993-07-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 84 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
3233 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
992 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
84 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
102 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
6.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 110140
FFWDSM
IAC007-185-110400-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
839 PM CDT SAT JUL 10 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION(S)S...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
 
   ...SOUTHERN APPANOOSE COUNTY...SOUTHERN WAYNE COUNTY
 
AT 835 PM CDT...WAYNE COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED THAT HEAVY RAIN HAD BEEN
FALLING FOR ONE AND A HALF HOURS IN THE SEYMORE AREA...WHICH IS 45
MILES SOUTHWEST OF OTTUMWA.
 
RADAR AND SATELLITE ESTIMATES OF RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN SOUTHERN WAYNE AND
SOUTHERN APPANOOSE COUNTIES INDICATE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES HAVE FALLEN
DURING THE PAST 1.5 HOURS.
 
 
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT.  IT'S
IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR
CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS.  CAMPERS SHOULD
AVOID CAMPING ALONG STREAMS OR CREEKS DURING THREATENING RAINS.
 
 
BURKE
 
&

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 10, 7:10 PM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
IAZALL-110300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
710 PM CDT SAT JUL 10 1993

...TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED IN CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...

THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY IS DISCOURAGING AND NOT
RECOMMENDING TRAVEL ANYWHERE IN CENRAL IOWA THIS EVENING OR TONIGHT.
SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL PROBLEMS WILL PLAGUE ANYONE ATTEMPING TO DRIVE IOWA
HIGHWAYS IN CENTRAL IOWA...INCLUDING I80 AND I35 IN AND AROUND DES
MOINES.

SO MANY ROAD CLOSING HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO WATER ACROSS ROADS FROM RIVERS
OUT OF THEIR BANKS...THAT THERE IS NO PLACE TO DETOUR DRIVERS.  PLEASE
CONSIDER DELAYING YOUR TRAVEL PLANS UNTIL LATER.

BURKE
Special weather statement, Jul 10, 7:11 PM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
IAZALL-110300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
710 PM CDT SAT JUL 10 1993

...TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED IN CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...

THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY IS DISCOURAGING AND NOT
RECOMMENDING TRAVEL ANYWHERE IN CENRAL IOWA THIS EVENING OR TONIGHT.
SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL PROBLEMS WILL PLAGUE ANYONE ATTEMPING TO DRIVE IOWA
HIGHWAYS IN CENTRAL IOWA...INCLUDING I80 AND I35 IN AND AROUND DES
MOINES.

SO MANY ROAD CLOSING HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO WATER ACROSS ROADS FROM RIVERS
OUT OF THEIR BANKS...THAT THERE IS NO PLACE TO DETOUR DRIVERS.  PLEASE
CONSIDER DELAYING YOUR TRAVEL PLANS UNTIL LATER.

BURKE
Special weather statement, Jul 10, 7:45 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
IAZALL-110140-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
745 PM CDT SAT JUL 10 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL
   AND SOUTHEAST IOWA THIS SATURDAY EVENING UNTIL 1000 PM CDT...

AT 730 PM CDT...NUMEROUS VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER FAR
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA.  THE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 10 MILE
WIDE BAND ALONG THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER FROM 60 MILES SOUTH OF DES
MOINES...TO 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF OTTUMWA NEAR KEOSAUQUA.  THE STORMS
WERE PRODUCING EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL
HAIL.

THE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS OCCURRING SOUTH
OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES NEAR CRESTON...TO 15
MILES NORTHWEST OF OTTUMWA NEAR OSKALOOSA...TO NEAR CEDAR RAPIDS.

MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WAS EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
/
OTHER VERY STRONG STORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA NEAR
NORTHWOOD...OSAGE AND CHARLES CITY...OR FROM 20 MILES NORTH TO 30 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF MASON CITY.  THESE STORMS WERE ALSO PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN
GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE HAIL AS THEY MOVED SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 35
MILES AN HOUR.

THE HEAVY RAINFALL PRODUCED BY THESE STORMS MAY CAUSE RAPID RISES OF
CREEKS AND STREAMS...FURTHER AGGRAVATING FLOODING PROBLEMS IN THE STATE.
PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION.

KALLMAN
Special weather statement, Jul 10, 7:46 PM CDT, 53 minutes before
IAZALL-110140-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
745 PM CDT SAT JUL 10 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL
   AND SOUTHEAST IOWA THIS SATURDAY EVENING UNTIL 1000 PM CDT...

AT 730 PM CDT...NUMEROUS VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER FAR
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA.  THE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 10 MILE
WIDE BAND ALONG THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER FROM 60 MILES SOUTH OF DES
MOINES...TO 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF OTTUMWA NEAR KEOSAUQUA.  THE STORMS
WERE PRODUCING EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL
HAIL.

THE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS OCCURRING SOUTH
OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES NEAR CRESTON...TO 15
MILES NORTHWEST OF OTTUMWA NEAR OSKALOOSA...TO NEAR CEDAR RAPIDS.

MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WAS EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
/
OTHER VERY STRONG STORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA NEAR
NORTHWOOD...OSAGE AND CHARLES CITY...OR FROM 20 MILES NORTH TO 30 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF MASON CITY.  THESE STORMS WERE ALSO PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN
GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE HAIL AS THEY MOVED SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 35
MILES AN HOUR.

TH@E HEAVY RAINFALL PRODUCED BY THESE STORMS MAY CAUSE RAPID RISES OF
CREEKS AND STREAMS...FURTHER AGGRAVATING FLOODING PROBLEMS IN THE STATE.
PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION.

KALLMAN
Special weather statement, Jul 10, 8:23 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
825 PM CDT SAT JUL 10 1993

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 635 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES.

JONES...JACKSON...CEDAR...CLINTON...SCOTT...MUSCATINE...LOUISA
AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES.

JOHNSON
Special weather statement, Jul 10, 8:25 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
825 PM CDT SAT JUL 10 1993

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 635 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES.

JONES...JACKSON...CEDAR...CLINTON...SCOTT...MUSCATINE...LOUISA
AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES.

JOHNSON

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 10, 7:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMitchell37 min
Jul 10, 8:39 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXAppanoose2 hr
Jul 10, 11:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLucas19 min
Jul 10, 11:36 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXDickinson, Emmet3 hr
Jul 10, 11:56 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXClay, Palo Alto3 hr
Jul 11, 6:10 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXPolk4 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.