Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1994
Tornado Warning 16, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Jul 6, 1994, 4:47 PM CDT for Fayette County, Iowa. It was in force for 33 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 6, 1994, 4:47 PM CDT (21:47 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 6, 1994, 5:20 PM CDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Fayette County, IA
The nearest sounding before it
Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 351 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
- 1662 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -29 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 2 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 062148 TORALO IAC065-062245- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 447 PM CDT WED JUL 6 1994 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WATERLOO HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTHEAST IOWA ...FAYETTE COUNTY AT 445 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN WATERLOO WAS SHOWING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORNADOES LOCATED 20 MILES SOUTH OF DECORAH NEAR THE TOWN OF WEST UNION. PERSONS IN WEST UNION...ELDORADO...CLERMONT...AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND SHORTLY BEFORE MOVING BACK INTO THE CLOUD AROUND THE TOWN OF HAWKEYE. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. 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. LINDENBERG &
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, Jul 6, 4:07 PM CDT, 40 minutes before
IAZ051-052-062215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECT LOCATION... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 407 PM CDT WED JUL 6 1994 AT 404 PM CDT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR NORWAY...15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS MOVING EAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR. THIS STORM MAY CONTAIN MARBLE SIZED HAIL...LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. THE STORM WILL APPROACH THE CITY OF CEDAR RAPIDS BY 430 PM CDT. HEAD TOWARD A SAFE PLACE WHEN THIS STORM APPROACHES. BELLES
Special weather statement, Jul 6, 4:13 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
IAZ051-052-062215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECT LOCATION... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 407 PM CDT WED JUL 6 1994 AT 404 PM CDT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR NORWAY...15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS MOVING EAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR. THIS STORM MAY CONTAIN MARBLE SIZED HAIL...LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. THE STORM WILL APPROACH THE CITY OF CEDAR RAPIDS BY 430 PM CDT. HEAD TOWARD A SAFE PLACE WHEN THIS STORM APPROACHES. BELLES
Special weather statement, Jul 6, 4:25 PM CDT, 22 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-062335- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 425 PM CDT WED JUL 6 1994 ...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA... AT 423 PM...SCATTERED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH THOSE SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF HIGHWAY 63. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH AND THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WILL AFFECT THE CRESCO...WAUCOMA AND JACKSON JUNCTION AREAS THROUGH 5 PM. BY 530 PM...THESE STORMS WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE INTO CENTRAL WINNESHIEK AND FAYETTE COUNTIES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINS...WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH IN ADDITION TO SOME SMALL HAIL. AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. TRS
Local storm report, Jul 6, 4:31 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
431 PM CDT WED JUL 6 1994
SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS FROM JULY 6TH 1994
228 PM CERRO GORDO COUNTY MASON CITY POLICE DEPT. WAS GETTING
REPORTS FROM THE PUBLIC OF FUNNEL
CLOUDS/TORNADOES ON THE SOUTHEAST
EDGE OF MASON CITY.
230 PM CERRO GORDO COUNTY A MASON CITY POLICE OFFICER REPORTED
A TORNADO ON THE GROUND ON THE SOUTHEAST
CITY LIMITS OF MASON CITY.
234 PM CERRO GORDO COUNTY MASON CITY POLICE REPORTED TORNADO WAS
IN ROPE-LIKE STAGE MOVING SOUTHEAST.
LOCATED JUST SOUTHEAST OF MASON CITY.
234 PM CERRO GORDO COUNTY A MASON CITY RADIO STATION REPORTED
RECEIVING NUMEROUS CALLS OF
FUNNEL CLOUDS AND TORNADOES TO THE
SOUTHEAST OF THE CITY.
252 PM FLOYD COUNTY A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND
1 MILE EAST OF ROCKFORD MOVING TO THE
EAST.
LINDENBERGLocal storm report, Jul 6, 4:32 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
431 PM CDT WED JUL 6 1994
SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS FROM JULY 6TH 1994
228 PM CERRO GORDO COUNTY MASON CITY POLICE DEPT. WAS GETTING
REPORTS FROM THE PUBLIC OF FUNNEL
CLOUDS/TORNADOES ON THE SOUTHEAST
EDGE OF MASON CITY.
230 PM CERRO GORDO COUNTY A MASON CITY POLICE OFFICER REPORTED
A TORNADO ON THE GROUND ON THE SOUTHEAST
CITY LIMITS OF MASON CITY.
234 PM CERRO GORDO COUNTY MASON CITY POLICE REPORTED TORNADO WAS
IN ROPE-LIKE STAGE MOVING SOUTHEAST.
LOCATED JUST SOUTHEAST OF MASON CITY.
234 PM CERRO GORDO COUNTY A MASON CITY RADIO STATION REPORTED
RECEIVING NUMEROUS CALLS OF
FUNNEL CLOUDS AND TORNADOES TO THE
SOUTHEAST OF THE CITY.
252 PM FLOYD COUNTY A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND
1 MILE EAST OF ROCKFORD MOVING TO THE
EAST.
LINDENBERGSpecial weather statement, Jul 6, 4:34 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-062335- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 425 PM CDT WED JUL 6 1994 ...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA... AT 423 PM...SCATTERED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH THOSE SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF HIGHWAY 63. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH AND THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WILL AFFECT THE CRESCO...WAUCOMA AND JACKSON JUNCTION AREAS THROUGH 5 PM. BY 530 PM...THESE STORMS WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE INTO CENTRAL WINNESHIEK AND FAYETTE COUNTIES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINS...WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH IN ADDITION TO SOME SMALL HAIL. AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. TRS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 6, 2:32 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Cerro Gordo, Floyd | 43 min |
| Jul 6, 3:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Floyd, Mitchell | 41 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.