Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1994
Tornado Warning 10, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Jun 18, 1994, 6:12 PM CDT for Hancock County, Iowa. It was in force for 33 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Jun 18, 1994, 6:12 PM CDT (23:12 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 18, 1994, 6:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Hancock County, IA
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 6:15 PM CDT | Tornado F1 | Britt To, IA | |
| Jun 18, 6:40 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Corwith, IA | |
| Jun 18, 6:40 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Britt, IA |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 197 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
- 1093 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 17 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -147 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -134 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 KALO 182315 TORALO IAC081-182345- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 612 PM CDT SAT JUN 18 1994 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WATERLOO HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA ...HANCOCK COUNTY... AT 610 PM THE PUBLIC REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUDS 4 MILES WEST OF GARNER OR 10 MILES WEST OF MASON CITY. THIS TORNADO IS MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 15 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT THE TOWNS OF GARNER AND MILLER IN EASTERN HANCOCK COUNTY. A TORNADO WAS ALSO REPORTED 1 MILE WEST OF BELMOND ON HIGHWAY C20 AND WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST. PEOPLE IN KANAWHA SHOULD SEEK SAFE SHELTER FROM THIS APPROACHING TORNADO. DURING A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. AVOID WINDOWS. &
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Jun 18, 3:17 PM CDT, 2 hours 55 minutes before
IAZALL-182130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECT HEADLINE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 313 PM CDT SAT JUN 18 1994 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL IOWA... AT 310 PM CDT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...PEA SIZED HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR...WERE LOCATED IN A 25 MILES WIDE BAND FROM NEAR CENTERVILLE AND BLOOMFIELD TO MARSHALLTOWN TO DECORAH. AT THIS TIME NO SEXVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 15 MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD REMAIN OVER THIS SECTION OF IOWA FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IF THESE STORMS APPROACH YOUR AREA. BELLES
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 3:42 PM CDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before
IAZALL-182140- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 342 PM CDT SAT JUN 18 1994 AT 333 PM CDT...SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF IOWA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE EAST OF A LINE FROM MASON CITY THROUGH DES MOINES TO LAMONI. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...WERE LOCATED IN A 10 MILE WIDE BAND CENTERED FROM 25 MILES EAST OF DES MOINES...NEAR MONROE SOUTH TO THE MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF CENTERVILLE. MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 15 MPH. PETERSEN
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 4:38 PM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
IAZ006-007-008-009-010-011-016-017-018-019-026-027-028-029-038- 039-040-182245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 438 PM CDT SAT JUN 18 1994 ....THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING HEAVY RAIN IN NORTHEAST IOWA... TWO AREAS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAUSING SOME HEAVY DOWNPOURS IN NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE VERY SLOW MOVERS AND AS A RESULT THE PRIMARY THREAT IS HEAVY RAIN. THROUGH 530 PM THE GUTTENBERG...MANCHESTER AND ONIEDA AREAS CAN EXPECT HEAVY DOWNPOURS. IF YOU LIVE IN A LOW LYING AREA SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIGH WATER YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION NECCESSARY TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. ELSEWHERE EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH MOST OF THE ACTIVITY TO THE EAST OF I 35. THESE STORMS WILL MOST LIKELY PRODUCE HEAVY DOWNPOURS...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS FORECAST. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR ADDITIONAL UPDATES. PABST
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 4:46 PM CDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
IAZ006-007-008-009-010-011-016-017-018-019-026-027-028-029-038- 039-040-182245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 438 PM CDT SAT JUN 18 1994 ....THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING HEAVY RAIN IN NORTHEAST IOWA... TWO AREAS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAUSING SOME HEAVY DOWNPOURS IN NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE VERY SLOW MOVERS AND AS A RESULT THE PRIMARY THREAT IS HEAVY RAIN. THROUGH 530 PM THE GUTTENBERG...MANCHESTER AND ONIEDA AREAS CAN EXPECT HEAVY DOWNPOURS. IF YOU LIVE IN A LOW LYING AREA SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIGH WATER YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION NECCESSARY TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. ELSEWHERE EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH MOST OF THE ACTIVITY TO THE EAST OF I 35. THESE STORMS WILL MOST LIKELY PRODUCE HEAVY DOWNPOURS...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS FORECAST. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR ADDITIONAL UPDATES. PABST
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 5:40 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
IAZ006-007-008-009-010-011-016-017-018-019-026-027-028-029-038- 039-040-182345- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 540 PM CDT SAT JUN 18 1994 ...SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING HEAVY DOWNPOURS... VERY STRONG SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE MASON CITY... MANLY AND NORTHWOOD AREAS THROUGH 630 PM. THESE AREAS CAN EXPECT HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. THE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. ANOTHER BAND OF SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AN AREA FROM ELKADER TO STRAWBERRY POINT THROUGH 630 PM. THESE STORMS ARE ALSO SLOW MOVERS AND THE PRIMARY THREAT IS HEAVY RAIN. EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA. THIS IS A VERY STAGNANT SITUATION AND AS A RESULT LITTLE CHANGE IS FORECAST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR ADDITIONAL UPDATES. PABST
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 5:41 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
IAZ006-007-008-009-010-011-016-017-018-019-026-027-028-029-038- 039-040-182345- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 540 PM CDT SAT JUN 18 1994 ...SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING HEAVY DOWNPOURS... VERY STRONG SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE MASON CITY... MANLY AND NORTHWOOD AREAS THROUGH 630 PM. THESE AREAS CAN EXPECT HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. THE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. ANOTHER BAND OF SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AN AREA FROM ELKADER TO STRAWBERRY POINT THROUGH 630 PM. THESE STORMS ARE ALSO SLOW MOVERS AND THE PRIMARY THREAT IS HEAVY RAIN. EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA. THIS IS A VERY STAGNANT SITUATION AND AS A RESULT LITTLE CHANGE IS FORECAST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS6. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR ADDITIONAL UPDATES. PABST
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 7:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Winnebago, Worth | 35 min |
| Jun 17, 9:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Greene | 27 min |
| Jun 18, 6:02 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Cerro Gordo | 28 min |
| Jun 18, 6:37 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Humboldt, Kossuth | 38 min |
| Jun 18, 6:41 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Hancock | 34 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.