Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 75, NWS Des Moines, IA

July 17, 1993Buchanan County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 17, 1993, 6:03 PM CDT for Buchanan County, Iowa. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 17, 1993, 6:03 PM CDT (23:03 UTC)
Expired
Jul 17, 1993, 9:00 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Buchanan County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 12:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 300 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 12:00Z on 1993-07-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 602 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 12:00Z on 1993-07-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 115 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
602 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-112 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
619 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
115 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
140 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KALO 172304
FFWALO
IAC019-180200-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
603 PM CDT SAT JUL 17 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WATERLOO HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  900 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHEAST IOWA
 
   ...SOUTHERN BUCHANAN COUNTY
 
AT 558 PM...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING WERE LOCATED ALONG
THE BUCHANAN AND LINN COUNTY LINE. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 15
MILES AN HOUR.
 
THIS CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS CAUSED LIME CREEK...BEAR CREEK...PINE
CREEK AND DRY RUN CREEK TO LEAVE THEIR BANKS.  ALSO MANY REPORTS OF
STREET AND HIGHWAY FLOODING WERE OCCURING.  THE SHERIFFS OFFICE IN
INDEPENDENCE ABOUT 25 MILES EAST OF WATERLOO REPORTED WATER WAS STILL
RISING.
 
RESIDENTS OF BRANDON...ROWLEY...JESUP...AND QUASQUETON SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION!!
 
 
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH RISING FLOOD WATERS.  IF YOU ARE
CAUGHT IN YOUR VEHICLE IN RISING FLOOD WATERS...ABANDON IT
IMMEDIATELY AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
 
LINDENBERG/ROBB
 
&

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 17, 5:17 PM CDT, 46 minutes before
IAZ006-007-008-009-010-011-016-017-018-019-026-027-028-029-038-
039-040-172300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
500 PM CDT SAT JUL 17 1993

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE RUMBLING ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA THIS EVENING...

AT 500 PM...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...WIND
GUSTS OF 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR AND DEADLY LIGHTNING WERE MOVING
ACROSS THE AREA FROM WATERLOO SOUTHEAST TO JUST NORTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS.

THESE STORMS HAVE CAUSED SOME SMALL STREAMS TO OVERFLOW AND SOME
STREET FLOODING WAS OCCURRING IN EVANSDALE.  WINDS OF 35 TO 40 MILES
AN HOUR WERE REPORTED AT HICKORY HILLS ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH OF WATERLOO.

PEOPLE IN THE TOWNS OF EASTERN BLACK HAWK AND BUCHANAN COUNTY...ELK
RUN HEIGHTS...EVANSDALE...JESUP...LAPORTE CITY...RAYMOND...ROWLEY...
BRANDON AND QUASQUETON SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THESE STORMS FROM 5 TO 630
PM. THESE TOWNS ARE ALL EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF WATERLOO.

IN ADDITION SOME SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING FROM CHARLES CITY TO
DECORAH.

...REMEMBER THAT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL
10 PM CDT ALONG AND A LITTLE NORTH OF THE HIGHWAY 20 CORRIDOR
IN NORTHEAST IOWA ALONG WITH A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SAME
AREA TONIGHT.<

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR MORE INFORMATION
...LATER STATEMENTS...ADVISORIES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

CORRECTED FOR SPELLING PAR 3 AND 5
ROBB
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 5:47 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
IAZALL-172340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
547 PM CDT SAT JUL 17 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCH CONTINUES FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN AND
   CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM THIS SATURDAY EVENING...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE SOUTHEAST
   HALF OF IOWA...

AT 527 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ACROSS PARTS OF IOWA.
ONE STORM AREA WAS 100 MILES WIDE AND EXTENDED FROM 30 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF CEDAR RAPIDS NEAR BROOKLYN TO THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF IOWA NEAR
WAUKON. ANOTHER STORM AREA WAS BOUNDED FROM NEAR SIOUX CITY...TO
25 MILES EAST OF DES MOINES NEAR NEWTON...TO 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
NEWTON...TO THE MISSOURI BORDER 10 MILES SOUTH OF CLARINDA.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING WERE LOCATED FROM CEDAR RAPIDS TO 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
CEDAR RAPIDS...JUST NORTHEAST OF VINTON...10 MILES NORTH OF WINTERSET
AND 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF GREENFIELD.

MOVEMENT OF STORMS ACROSS EASTERN IOWA WAS SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN
HOUR...WHILE STORM MOVEMENT ELSEWHERE WAS EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS SHOULD LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA TO STAY
ABREAST OF THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

R A PRENTICE
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 5:49 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
IAZALL-172340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
547 PM CDT SAT JUL 17 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCH CONTINUES FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN AND
   CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM THIS SATURDAY EVENING...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE SOUTHEAST
   HALF OF IOWA...

AT 527 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ACROSS PARTS OF IOWA.
ONE STORM AREA WAS 100 MILES WIDE AND EXTENDED FROM 30 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF CEDAR RAPIDS NEAR BROOKLYN TO THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF IOWA NEAR
WAUKON. ANOTHER STORM AREA WAS BOUNDED FROM NEAR SIOUX CITY...TO
25 MILES EAST OF DES MOINES NEAR NEWTON...TO 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
NEWTON...TO THE MISSOURI BORDER 10 MILES SOUTH OF CLARINDA.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING WERE LOCATED FROM CEDAR RAPIDS TO 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
CEDAR RAPIDS...JUST NORTHEAST OF VINTON...10 MILES NORTH OF WINTERSET
AND 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF GREENFIELD.

MOVEMENT OF STORMS ACROSS EASTERN IOWA WAS SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN
HOUR...WHILE STORM MOVEMENT ELSEWHERE WAS EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS SHOULD LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA TO STAY
ABR EAST OF THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

R A PRENTICE
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 5:57 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
IAZALL-172340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
557 PM CDT SAT JUL 17 1993

...PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL IOWA HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM SEVERE
   THUNDERSTORM WATCH # 667.

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH THAT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL THROUGH PARTS
OF CENTRAL INTO EASTERN IOWA:  GUTHRIE...BOONE...DALLAS...GRUNDY...
HAMILTON...HARDIN...STORY...CASS...FREMONT...AND MONTGOMERY.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF IOWA...BUT ARE TO THE EAST OF
THE CLEARED AREA.  HOWEVER...RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT...SO
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THE NIGHT FOR THOSE
COUNTIES.

SULLIVAN
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 5:58 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
IAZALL-172340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
557 PM CDT SAT JUL 17 1993

...PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL IOWA HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM SEVERE
   THUNDERSTORM WATCH # 667.

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH THAT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL THROUGH PARTS
OF CENTRAL INTO EASTERN IOWA:  GUTHRIE...BOONE...DALLAS...GRUNDY...
HAMILTON...HARDIN...STORY...CASS...FREMONT...AND MONTGOMERY.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF IOWA...BUT ARE TO THE EAST OF
THE CLEARED AREA.  HOWEVER...RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT...SO
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THE NIGHT FOR THOSE
COUNTIES.

SULLIVAN
AND 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF GREENFIELD.

MOVEMENT OF STORMS ACROSS EASTERN IOWA WAS SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN
HOUR...WHILE STORM MOVEMENT ELSEWHERE WAS EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS SHOULD LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIAT TO STAY
ABREAST OF THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

R A PRENTICE
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 6:00 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
IAZALL-172340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
557 PM CDT SAT JUL 17 1993

...PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL IOWA HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM SEVERE
   THUNDERSTORM WATCH # 667.

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH THAT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL THROUGH PARTS
OF CENTRAL INTO EASTERN IOWA:  GUTHRIE...BOONE...DALLAS...GRUNDY...
HAMILTON...HARDIN...STORY...CASS...FREMONT...AND MONTGOMERY.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF IOWA...BUT ARE TO THE EAST OF
THE CLEARED AREA.  HOWEVER...RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT...SO
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THE NIGHT FOR THOSE
COUNTIES.Z

SULLIVAN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 17, 5:44 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXStory3 hr
Jul 17, 6:35 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXHardin, Marshall3 hr
Jul 17, 9:20 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXPolk3 hr
Jul 17, 2:00 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXMarshall4 hr
Jul 17, 3:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBenton33 min
Jul 17, 5:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLinn30 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.