Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993
Flash Flood Warning 70, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 13, 1993, 8:14 AM CDT for Polk County, Story County, Iowa. It was in force for 4 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 13, 1993, 8:14 AM CDT (13:14 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 13, 1993, 12:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Polk County, IA, Story County, IA
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 12:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 332 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
- NaN m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 52 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -15 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 42 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 131315 FFWDSM IAC153-169-131700- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 814 AM CDT TUE JUL 13 1993 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL NOON CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN CENTRAL IOWA ...POLK COUNTY...STORY COUNTY AT 810 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER AMES IN STORY COUNTY...EXTENDING SOUTH THROUGH THE DES MOINES METRO AREA...THEN SOUTHWEST TO NEAR CRESTON. THESE STORMS WERE DUMPING OVER AN INCH OF RAIN IN ABOUT A HALF HOUR...AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO OVER THE SKUNK RIVER...SQUAW CREEK...WALNUT CREEK...AND FOUR MILE CREEK BASINS IN STORY AND POLK COUNTIES. IF YOU ARE NEAR ANY OF THESE CREEKS OR RIVERS...YOU SHOULD MOVE ..IMMEDIATELY.. TO HIGHER GROUND! MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IFN WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. SULLIVAN &
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 13, 6:45 AM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
IAZALL-131240- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 643 AM CDT TUE JUL 13 1993 ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF IOWA TODAY AND TONIGHT... AT 632 AM CDT...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MANY WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HALF OF IOWA. THIS RAIN AREA WAS LOCATED NORTHWEST OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM THE MINNESOTA BORDER 60 MILES NORTH OF WATERLOO...TO 30 MILES NORTH OF WATERLOO...TO DES MOINES...TO THE MISSOURI BORDER 50 MILES WEST OF LAMONI AT BRADDYVILLE. THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE FALLING ACROSS SOUTHWEST IOWA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. R A PRENTICE
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 7:14 AM CDT, 1 hour before
IAZ006-007-008-009-010-011-016-017-018-019-026-027-028-029-038- 039-040-131315- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 715 AM CDT TUE JUL 13 1993 ...STRONG STORMS TAKING AN AIM ON NORTH CENTRAL IOWA... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE STATE. THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS IN CENTRAL IOWA ARE EXPECTED TO MASON CITY...NORTHWOOD AND FOREST CITY AREAS OF NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. MOVE INTO THE ACKLEY AND HAMPTON AREAS AROUND 8 AM AND INTO THE PARKERSBURG...CLARKSVILLE AND MARBLE ROCK AREAS BETWEEN 8 AND 9 AM. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THE HEAVIEST RAINS FROM THESE STORMS SHOULD STAY WEST AND NORTHWEST OF THE WATERLOO/CEDAR FALLS AREA...HOWEVER THOSE LIVING IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA BETWEEN I-35 AND HIGHWAY 218 SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACT QUICKLY SHOULD WATERS RISE AND FLASH FLOODING OCCUR. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND PEOPLE ARE URGED TO MONITOR TV... NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO FOR UPDATES ON FLOODING. COLLAR
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 7:15 AM CDT, 59 minutes before
IAZ006-007-008-009-010-011-016-017-018-019-026-027-028-029-038- 039-040-131315- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 715 AM CDT TUE JUL 13 1993 ...STRONG STORMS TAKING AN AIM ON NORTH CENTRAL IOWA... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE STATE. THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS IN CENTRAL IOWA ARE EXPECTED TO MASON CITY...NORTHWOOD AND FOREST CITY AREAS OF NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. MOVE INTO THE ACKLEY AND HAMPTON AREAS AROUND 8 AM AND INTO THE PARKERSBURG...CLARKSVILLE AND MARBLE ROCK AREAS BETWEEN 8 AND 9 AM. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THE HEAVIEST RAINS FROM THESE STORMS SHOULD STAY WEST AND NORTHWEST OF THE WATERLOO/CEDAR FALLS AREA...HOWEVER THOSE LIVING IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA BETWEEN I-35 AND HIGHWAY 218 SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACT QUICKLY SHOULD WATERS RISE AND FLASH FLOODING OCCUR. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND PEOPLE ARE URGED TO MONITOR TV... NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO FOR UPDATES ON FLOODING. COLLAR
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 7:16 AM CDT, 58 minutes before
IAZ006-007-008-009-010-011-016-017-018-019-026-027-028-029-038- 039-040-131315- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...DELETED EXTRA LINE... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 715 AM CDT TUE JUL 13 1993 ...STRONG STORMS TAKING AN AIM ON NORTH CENTRAL IOWA... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE STATE. THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS IN CENTRAL IOWA ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE ACKLEY AND HAMPTON AREAS AROUND 8 AM AND INTO THE PARKERSBURG...CLARKSVILLE AND MARBLE ROCK AREAS BETWEEN 8 AND 9 AM. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THE HEAVIEST RAINS FROM THESE STORMS SHOULD STAY WEST AND NORTHWEST OF THE WATERLOO/CEDAR FALLS AREA...HOWEVER THOSE LIVING IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA BETWEEN I-35 AND HIGHWAY 218 SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACT QUICKLY SHOULD WATERS RISE AND FLASH FLOODING OCCUR. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND PEOPLE ARE URGED TO MONITOR TV... NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO FOR UPDATES ON FLOODING. COLLAR
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 7:46 AM CDT, 28 minutes before
IAZALL-131340- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 746 AM CDT TUE JUL 13 1993 ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF IOWA TODAY AND TONIGHT... AT 735 AM CDT...A 15 MILE WIDE AREA OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL IOWA. THE STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CRESTON OR ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES NORTHEAST TO NEAR DALLAS CENTER OR ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES. THIS LINE OF STORMS CONTINUED FROM NEVADA NORTH TO NEAR JEWELL. NEVADA 30 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES WHILE JEWELL IS ABOUT 45 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES. SEVERAL OF THE STORMS IN THIS AREA WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A MUCH LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM MOUNT AYR NORTHEAST TO OELWEIN. MOUNT AYR IS 55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES WHILE OELWEIN IS 20 ABOUT 20 MILES EAST OF WATERLOO. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 7:51 AM CDT, 23 minutes before
IAZALL-131340- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 746 AM CDT TUE JUL 13 1993 ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF IOWA TODAY AND TONIGHT... AT 735 AM CDT...A 15 MILE WIDE AREA OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL IOWA. THE STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CRESTON OR ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES NORTHEAST TO NEAR DALLAS CENTER OR ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES. THIS LINE OF STORMS CONTINUED FROM NEVADA NORTH TO NEAR JEWELL. NEVADA 30 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES WHILE JEWELL IS ABOUT 45 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES. SEVERAL OF THE STORMS IN THIS AREA WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A MUCH LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM MOUNT AYR NORTHEAST TO OELWEIN. MOUNT AYR IS 55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES WHILE OELWEIN IS 20 ABOUT 20 MILES EAST OF WATERLOO. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. BARLOW
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 13, 5:46 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Dallas, Polk | 6 hr |
| Jul 13, 6:47 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Cass | 3 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.