Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 93, NWS Des Moines, IA

August 9, 1993Linn County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 9, 1993, 10:48 PM CDT for Linn County, Iowa. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Aug 9, 1993, 10:48 PM CDT (03:48 UTC)
Expired: Aug 10, 1993, 2:45 AM CDT
In force: 4 hr
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Whole counties

County Linn County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 00:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 348 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 490 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -81 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1739 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 19 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 94 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 100350
FFWDSM
IAC113-100745-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1048 PM CDT MON AUG 9 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 300 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION(S)...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA
 
   ...LINN COUNTY
 
AT 1045 PM CDT VERY HEAVY RAINS CONTINUED OVER LINN COUNTY. THE HEAVY
RAINS WERE BEGINNING TO CAUSE MORE SERIOUS FLOODING PROBLEMS. PEOPLE
WERE REPORTED TRAPPED DUE TO THE HIGH WATER IN LOCATIONS AROUND THE
CITY OF CEDAR RAPIDS AND IN OUT-LYING COUNTY AREAS
.
 
SOME CREEKS AND STREAMS INCLUDED IN THE WARNING ARE INDIAN CREEK...
BIG CREEK...CRABAPPLE CREEK AND ABBE CREEK.
 
 
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 2WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
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.
 
 
 
&

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, Aug 9, 9:43 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before

IAZ006-007-008-009-010-011-016-017-018-019-026-027-028-029-038-
039-040-100330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
935 PM CDT MON AUG 9 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST IOWA
ALONG THE HIGHWAY 20 CORRIDOR UNTIL 3AM CDT...

AT 935 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL AND
NORTHEAST IOWA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES
AN HOUR.  THEY WILL AFFECT JUST ABOUT ALL CITIES AND TOWNS SOUTH OF
HIGHWAY 18...WATERLOO...GRUNDY CENTER...PARKERSBURG...NEW HAMPTON...
OELWEIN AND CHARLES CITY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD CAUSE SOME URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING
FROM VERY HEAVY RAINS ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS...LIGHTNING AND HAIL.
PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THE WEATHER THIS EVENING AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...TV AND
RADIO FOR LATER UPDATES AND STATEMENTS.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT. UNTIL 11 PM CDT FOR CHICKASAW
COUNTY WHICH IS ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH OF WATERLOO.

ROBB

Special weather statement, Aug 9, 9:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

IAZALL-100340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
945 PM CDT MON AUG 9 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN IOWA
   UNTIL 3AM...

AT 930 PM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL WERE
LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST...NORTHCENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA.  THE MOST
INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINS AND SOME HAIL WERE LOCATED
ALONG A NARROW LINE...ABOUT 15 MILES WIDE...AND EXTENDING FROM JUST
NORTH OF STORM LAKE...THROUGH IOWA FALLS TO CEDAR RAPIDS.  VERY HEAVY RAINS
...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NORTH OF THIS LINE...EXTENDING
NORTH TO NEAR THE MINNESOTA BORDER...AND EAST INTO ADJACENT PARTS OF
NORTHWEST ILLINOIS AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

SCOTT

Special weather statement, Aug 9, 10:00 PM CDT, 48 minutes before

IAZALL-100340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
945 PM CDT MON AUG 9 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN IOWA
   UNTIL 3AM...

AT 930 PM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL WERE
LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST...NORTHCENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA.  THE MOST
INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINS AND SOME HAIL WERE LOCATED
ALONG A NARROW LINE...ABOUT 15 MILES WIDE...AND EXTENDING FROM JUST
NORTH OF STORM LAKE...THROUGH IOWA FALLS TO CEDAR RAPIDS.  VERY HEAVY RAINS
...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NORTH OF TnHIS LINE...EXTENDING
NORTH TO NEAR THE MINNESOTA BORDER...AND EAST INTO ADJACENT PARTS OF
NORTHWEST ILLINOIS AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

SCOTT

Local storm report, Aug 9, 10:45 PM CDT, 3 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1045 PM CDT MON AUG 9 1993

TIME               EVENT                          LOCATION

841 PM CDT      60-70 MPH WINDS                 EAST OF WALKER
                                                /LINN COUNTY/

841 PM CDT      ESTIMATED 65 MPH WINDS          TROY MILLS
                BY A SHERIFF DEPUTY             /LINN COUNTY/

841 PM CDT      60 MPH WIND GUSTS REPORTED      CEDAR RAPIDS
                BY LINN COUNTY EOC              /LINN COUNTY/

910 PM CDT      66 MPH WIND GUST                AT CEDAR RAPIDS
                                                /LINN COUNTY/

1020 PM CDT     HEAVY RAINS -TWO INCH RAINS     RADCLIFFE
                FELL WITHIN A 25 MINUTE SPAN    /HARDIN COUNTY/

JM

Local storm report, Aug 9, 10:45 PM CDT, 3 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1045 PM CDT MON AUG 9 1993

TIME               EVENT                          LOCATION

841 PM CDT      60-70 MPH WINDS                 EAST OF WALKER
                                                /LINN COUNTY/

841 PM CDT      ESTIMATED 65 MPH WINDS          TROY MILLS
                BY A SHERIFF DEPUTY             /LINN COUNTY/

841 PM CDT      60 MPH WIND GUSTS REPORTED      CEDAR RAPIDS
                BY LINN COUNTY EOC              /LINN COUNTY/

910 PM CDT      66 MPH WIND GUST                AT CEDAR RAPIDS
                                                /LINN COUNTY/

1020 PM CDT     HEAVY RAINS -TWO INCH RAINS     RA0DCLIFFE
                FELL WITHIN A 25 MINUTE SPAN    /HARDIN COUNTY/

JM

Special weather statement, Aug 9, 10:45 PM CDT, 3 minutes before

IAZALL-100440-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1045 PM CDT MON AUG 9 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN IOWA
   UNTIL 3AM...

AT 1030 PM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL
HAIL CONTINUED TO FALL ON NORTHWEST...CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA ALONG
A LINE REACHING FROM 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF STORM LAKE TO CEDAR RAPIDS.
VERY HEAVY RAINS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE
STORMS.

THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER ARE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS THAT WERE LOCATED NORTH OF THIS LINE EXTENDING FROM IDA GROVE
TO DAVENPORT.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
SCOTT

SCOTT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 9, 7:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Worth	33 min
Aug 9, 7:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Buchanan	55 min
Aug 9, 8:00 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DMX	Chickasaw	3 hr
Aug 9, 8:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Linn	42 min
Aug 9, 8:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Butler	50 min
Aug 9, 10:40 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DMX	Chickasaw	2 hr
Aug 9, 11:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Calhoun	26 min
Aug 9, 11:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Greene	41 min
Aug 9, 11:31 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DMX	Iowa	3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 1993 Every 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.