Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 9, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 4, 1993Jones County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at May 4, 1993, 4:59 AM CDT for Jones County, Iowa. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 4, 1993, 4:59 AM CDT (09:59 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 1993, 8:00 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Jones County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 00:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 359 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 1993-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 1993-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 142 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
521 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
142 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
148 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 041003
FFWDSM
IAC051-101-105-177-179-183-041300-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
459 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION(S)S...
 
IN SOUTHEAST IOWA
 
   ...DAVIS COUNTY...JEFFERSON COUNTY...KEOKUK COUNTY
   ...VAN-BUREN COUNTY...WAPELLO COUNTY...WASHINGTON COUNTY
 
A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. THIS
WARNING AFFECTS THE FOLLOWING CITIES OF SOUTHEAST IOWA: OTTUMWA...
SIGOURNEY...BLOOMFIELD...AND FAIRFIELD.
 
AT 450 AM CDT...DES MOINES RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW AN EXPANDING AREA OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WARNED AREA. THIS IS THE SAME REGION
THAT HAS RECEIVED EXCESSIVE RAINFALL DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS. THE AREA
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING VERY SLOWLY TO THE NORTHWEST
AND DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE RAIN...AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES
IS POSSIBLE.
 
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.
 
MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A
SMALL ONE...ON FOOT.
 
SMITH

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, May 4, 3:45 AM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
IAZALL-040935-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTED TYPO PARA 3
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
345 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993

AT 333 AM CDT...ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER EAST
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 10
MILE WIDE AREA THAT EXTENDED FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF
KEOSAUQUA NORTH TO WASHINGTON. KEOSAUQUA IS 40 MILES WEST OF BURLINGTON
WHILE WASHINGTON IS 35 MILES SOUTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS. DUE TO THE SLOW
MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS LOCAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS
LIKELY AND THIS WILL CAUSE RAPID RISES ON SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF AN EXPANDING AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF IOWA. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE EAST
OF A KEOSAUQUA TO CEDAR RAPIDS LINE.

ANOTHER CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM
CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST IOWA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS IN THIS AREA WERE
LOCATED ALONG AND 20 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES EAST
OF DES MOINES...NEAR NEWTON...NORTH TO CHARLES CITY WHICH IS 30 MILES
EAST OF MASON CITY.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 4, 3:48 AM CDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
IAZALL-040935-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
345 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993

AT 333 AM CDT...ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER EAST
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 10
MILE WIDE AREA THAT EXTENDED FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF
KEOSAUQUA NORTH TO WASHINGTON. KEOSAUQUA IS 40 MILES WEST OF BURLINGTON
WHILE WASHINGTON IS 35 MILES SOUTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS. DUE TO THE SLOW
MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS LOCAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS
LIKELY AND THIS WILL CAUSE RAPID RISES ON SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF AN EXPANDING AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF IOWA. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE EAST
OF A KEOSAUQUA TO CEDAR RAPIDS LINE.

ANOTHER CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUDNERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM
CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST IOWA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS IN THIS AREA WERE
LOCATED ALONG AND 20 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES EAST
OF DES MOINES...NEAR NEWTON...NORTH TO CHARLES CITY WHICH IS 30 MILES
EAST OF MASON CITY.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 4, 3:53 AM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
IAZALL-040935-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTED TYPO PARA 3
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
345 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993

AT 333 AM CDT...ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER EAST
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 10
MILE WIDE AREA THAT EXTENDED FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF
KEOSAUQUA NORTH TO WASHINGTON. KEOSAUQUA IS 40 MILES WEST OF BURLINGTON
WHILE WASHINGTON IS 35 MILES SOUTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS. DUE TO THE SLOW
MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS LOCAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS
LIKELY AND THIS WILL CAUSE RAPID RISES ON SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF AN EXPANDING AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF IOWA. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE EAST
OF A KEOSAUQUA TO CEDAR RAPIDS LINE.

ANOTHER CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM
CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST IOWA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS IN THIS AREA WERE
LOCATED ALONG AND 20 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES EAST
OF DES MOINES...NEAR NEWTON...NORTH TO CHARLES CITY WHICH IS 30 MILES
EAST OF MASON CITY.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 4, 4:43 AM CDT, 16 minutes before
IAZALL-041035-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
443 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993

AT 433 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED
OVER SOUTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED
IN A 10 MILE WIDE AREA FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF KEOSAUQUA
NORTH TO RICHLAND. KEOSAUQUA IS 40 MILES WEST OF BURLINGTON...RICHLAND
IS 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF OTTUMWA. DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THESE
STORMS LOCAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS LIKELY AND THIS WILL
CAUSE RAPID RISES ON SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF AN EXPANDING AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF IOWA. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE EAST
OF A BLOOMFIELD TO OTTUMWA TO CEDAR RAPIDS LINE. BLOOMFIELD IS 20 MILES
SOUTH OF OTTUMWA.

ANOTHER CLUSTER OF SHOWERS EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL INTO PARTS OF NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA. THE SHOWERS IN THIS AREA WERE ALONG AND 20
MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM MONROE NORTH TO NEAR OSAGE. MONROE IS
25 MILES EAST OF DES MOINES WHILE OSAGE IS 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON
CITY.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 4, 4:45 AM CDT, 14 minutes before
IAZALL-041035-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
443 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1993

AT 433 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED
OVER SOUTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED
IN A 10 MILE WIDE AREA FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF KEOSAUQUA
NORTH TO RICHLAND. KEOSAUQUA IS 40 MILES WEST OF BURLINGTON...RICHLAND
IS 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF OTTUMWA. DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THESE
STORMS LOCAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS LIKELY AND THIS WILL
CAUSE RAPID RISES ON SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF AN EXPANDING AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF IOWA. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE EAST
OF A BLOOMFIELD TO OTTUMWA TO CEDAR RAPIDS LINE. BLOOMFIELD IS 20 MILES
SOUTH OF OTTUMWA.

ANOTHER CLUSTER OF SHOWERS EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL INTO PARTS OF NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA. THE SHOWERS IN THIS AREA WERE ALONG AND 20
MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM MONROE NORTH TO NEAR OSAGE. MONROE IS
25 MILES EAST OF DES MOINES WHILE OSAGE IS 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON
CITY.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 4:59 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXDavis, Jefferson, Van Buren, Wapello3 hr
May 4, 4:59 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXWashington3 hr
May 4, 7:55 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXDavis, Jefferson, Van Buren, Wapello4 hr
May 4, 7:55 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXWashington4 hr
May 4, 7:55 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXJones4 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.