Alert archive / Illinois / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 39, NWS Quad Cities, IA

August 16, 1993Mercer County, Illinois

NWS Quad Cities, IA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 16, 1993, 7:17 AM CDT for Mercer County, Illinois. It was in force for 118 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 16, 1993, 7:17 AM CDT (12:17 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 1993, 9:15 AM CDT
In force
118 min
Issued by
NWS Quad Cities, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Mercer County, IL

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 423 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 12:00Z on 1993-08-16Temperature 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 12:00Z on 1993-08-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -56 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
855 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-56 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-119 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 KMLI 161217
FFWMLI
IAC115-ILC131-161415-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOLINE IL
717 AM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 915 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE EXTREME EAST PART OF IOWA
      LOUISA...

   IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF ILLINOIS
      MERCER...

AT 710 AM CDT...LOUISA COUNTY POLICE REPORTED THAT MOST STREETS
WERE FLOODED IN WAPELLO AND THAT NUMEROUS ROADS WERE FLOODED IN
THE NORTHEAST SECTION OF LOUISA COUNTY. MERCER COUNTY POLICE ALSO
REPORTED THAT NUMEROUS ROADS WERE FLOODED IN WESTERN MERCER COUNTY.
THE SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS THAT HAVE PRODUCED THIS FLOODING
WILL PERSIST OVER THESE COUNTY FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLASH FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT IN THE SPECIFIED AREA.

PERSONS ALONG OR NEAR STREAMS SUBJECT TO FLASH FLOODING OR SHARP
RISES SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMEDIATELY.

MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY.
NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOtWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT.

IF TIME PERMITS...ASK THE NEAREST LAW ENFORECMENT AGENCY TO RELAY
YOUR REPORT OF FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

BELL 1217Z

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 16, 4:24 AM CDT, 2 hours 53 minutes before
ILZ004-IAZ078-088-089-099-161130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOLINE IL
424 AM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR DES MOINES COUNTY DROPPED...
...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER BISTATE AREA...

AT 420 AM CDT...THE FLASH FLOOD WAS DROPPED SINCE THE THUNDERSTORMS
WHICH CAUSED THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING TO BE ISSUED HAD MOVED EAST INTO
ROCK ISLAND COUNTY OF ILLINOIS. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS
FROM WATERLOO IOWA SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE QUAD CITIES AND FURTHER INTO
CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA
INTO THE MID MORNING HOURS.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN DOWNPOUR...STRONG
WIND GUSTS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. IF THESE STORMS APPROACH YOUR
AREA...GO INSIDE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.

BELL
/
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 4:24 AM CDT, 2 hours 53 minutes before
ILZ004-IAZ078-088-089-099-161130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOLINE IL
424 AM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR DES MOINES COUNTY DROPPED...
...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER BISTATE AREA...

AT 420 AM CDT...THE FLASH FLOOD WAS DROPPED SINCE THE THUNDERSTORMS
WHICH CAUSED THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING TO BE ISSUED HAD MOVED EAST INTO
ROCK ISLAND COUNTY OF ILLINOIS. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS
FROM WATERLOO IOWA SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE QUAD CITIES AND FURTHER INTO
CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA
INTO THE MID MORNING HOURS.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN DOWNPOUR...STRONG
WIND GUSTS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. IF THESE STORMS APPROACH YOUR
AREA...GO INSIDE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.

BELL
/
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 4:56 AM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
ILZ004-IAZ078-088-089-099-161130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOLINE IL
456 AM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER BISTATE AREA...

AT 455 AM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER NORTH CENTRAL
MERCER COUNTY ILLINOIS...APPROXIMIATELY 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE
QUAD CITIES AND MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE OVER
THE MERCER/HENRY COUNTY ILLINOIS LINE BY 530 AM CDT. THIS STORM HAS A
HISTORY OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND GUSTY WINDS.
IF THIS STORM APPROACHES YOUR LOCATION...GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM UNTIL
THE STORM PASSES.

BELL
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 5:00 AM CDT, 2 hours 17 minutes before
ILZ004-IAZ078-088-089-099-161130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOLINE IL
456 AM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER BISTATE AREA...

AT 455 AM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER NORTH CENTRAL
MERCER COUNTY ILLINOIS...APPROXIMIATELY 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE
QUAD CITIES AND MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE OVER
THE MERCER/HENRY COUNTY ILLINOIS LINE BY 530 AM CDT. THIS STORM HAS A
HISTJORY OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND GUSTY WINDS.
IF THIS STORM APPROACHES YOUR LOCATION...GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM UNTIL
THE STORM PASSES.

BELL
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 6:35 AM CDT, 42 minutes before
ILZ004-IAZ078-088-089-099-161230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOLINE IL
635 AM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...THUNDERSTORMS RUMBLING THROUGH THE QUAD CITIES...

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE TWO STATE REGION AT
30 MILES AN HOUR.  AT 630 AM...THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER
THE QUAD CITIES METRO AREA.  A LINE OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS  WAS
PUSHING THORUGH EASTERN MUSCATINE COUNTY IOWA AND CENTRAL LOUISA COUNTY
IOWA.  ANOTHERN SMALL AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING THROUGH
SOUTHEASTERN MERCER COUNTY ILLINOIS.  MORE THUNDERSTORMS WERE NOW
ENTERING THE NORTHWESTERN PARTS OF HENRY COUNTY IOWA.

THE STORMS OVER THE QUAD CITIES WILL MOVE OVER NORTHERN HENRY COUNTY
THROUGH 730 AM.  STORMS WILL BE ENTERING SOUTHWEST WHITESIDE COUNTY
AROUND 700 AM.

AS THESE STORMS PROGRESS EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR...THEY WILL PRODUCE
VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND
POSSIBLY SOME HAIL.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD TAKE SHELTER AND WAIT OUT
THE STORMS.  KEEP AN EYE TO RISING CREEKS AND STREAMS AND MOVE
TO HIGHER GROUND IF THE WATER THREATENS YOU.

GOEHRING
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 6:36 AM CDT, 41 minutes before
ILZ004-IAZ078-088-089-099-161230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOLINE IL
635 AM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...THUNDERSTORMS RUMBLING THROUGH THE QUAD CITIES...

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE TWO STATE REGION AT
30 MILES AN HOUR.  AT 630 AM...THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER
THE QUAD CITIES METRO AREA.  A LINE OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS  WAS
PUSHING THORUGH EASTERN MUSCATINE COUNTY IOWA AND CENTRAL LOUISA COUNTY
IOWA.  ANOTHERN SMALL AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING THROUGH
SOUTHEASTERN MERCER COUNTY ILLINOIS.  MORE THUNDERSTORMS WERE NOW
ENTERING THE NORTHWESTERN PARTS OF HENRY COUNTY IOWA.

THE STORMS OVER THE QUAD CITIES WILL MOVE OVER NORTHERN HENRY COUNTY
THROUGH 730 AM.  STORMS WILL BE ENTERING SOUTHWEST WHITESIDE COUNTY
AROUND 700 AM.

AS THESE STORMS PROGRESS EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR...THEY WILL PRODUCE
VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND
POSSIBLY SOME HAIL.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD TAKE SHELTER AND WAIT OUT
THE STORMS.  KEEP AN EYE TO RISING CREEKS AND STREAMS AND MOVE
TO HIGHER GROUND IF THE WATER THREATENS YOU.

GOEHRING

The office that day

Everything else NWS Quad Cities, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 9:08 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDVNMercer3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Illinois, 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.