Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 112, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 22, 1998Madison County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 22, 1998, 2:15 AM CDT for Madison County, Iowa. It was in force for 45 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 22, 1998, 2:15 AM CDT (07:15 UTC)
Expired: May 22, 1998, 3:00 AM CDT
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Whole counties

County Madison County, IA

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 21, 11:30 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 7.3 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.

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: 66 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -295 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 905 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 300 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 484 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 7.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 220715 RRA
SVRDSM
IAC121-220800-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
215 AM CDT FRI MAY 22 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA

* UNTIL 300 AM CDT

* AT 212 AM CDT... DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 37
  MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES OR 8 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF
  MACKSBURG MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* THIS STORM CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR...
   MACKSBURG          BY 220 AM CDT
   WINTERSET          BY 226 AM CDT
   EAST PERU          BY 236 AM CDT
   PATTERSON          BY 241 AM CDT
   ST. CHARLES        BY 248 AM CDT

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF LARGE HAIL. GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING
AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. ONE INCH DIAMETER WAS REPORTED IN
GREENFIELD AT 205 AM.

PYTLAK

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 21, 11:41 PM CDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-
092>097-221045-

CENTRAL IOWA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1141 PM CDT THU MAY 21 1998

HAZARD--AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 80
MPH. HAIL UP TO GOLFBALL SIZE AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED
OUT.

AREA OF CONCERN--SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80.

TIMING DETAILS--THROUGH 700 AM FRIDAY MORNING.

METEOROLOGICAL COMMENTS--AN INTENSE BOW ECHO HAS ALREADY PRODUCED
WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE OVER SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA WITH GUSTS
AS HIGH AS 80 MPH. WHILE THIS BOW ECHO MARCHES INTO SOUTHEAST IOWA...
ANOTHER BOW ECHO WAS DEVELOPING OVER EASTERN NEBRASKA. THIS ONE APPEARS
TO BE JUST AS STRONG AND HAS HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING SOFTBALL SIZED-
HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. AS THE NIGHT WEARS ON...THE HAIL THREAT
WITH THIS NEW SQUALL LINE SHOULD DIMINISH BUT INCREASING WINDS ALOFT
WILL ENHANCE THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS. MANY AREAS THAT HAVE
STRUCK ALREADY THIS EVENING ARE LIKELY TO BE HIT YET AGAIN OVERNIGHT.
SINCE WINDS ARE GETTING STRONGER ALOFT...THIS SECOND BOW ECHO MAY STILL
BE STRONG ENOUGH TO SPIN UP A TORNADO OR TWO...ESPECIALLY ON THE NORTH
END OF THE BOW ECHOES.

PRECAUTIONS--A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST IOWA...AND A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 500 AM.
THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE MANY PEOPLE MAY SLEEP
THROUGH THIS SEVERE WEATHER AND NOT REACT IN TIME TO THE DANGER. TAKE
COVER IF STRONG WINDS DEVELOP IN YOUR AREA AND MONITOR WEATHER
RADIO...TELEVISION AND COMMERCIAL RADIO OVERNIGHT.

PYTLAK

Local storm report, May 22, 12:34 AM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1234 AM CDT FRI MAY 22 1998

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0915 PM    ANITA                     IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   CASS                           POWER POLES DOWNED.
                                          NUMEROUS TREES BLOCKING
                                          ROADS

0920 PM    BRAYTON                   IA   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/21/98   AUDUBON

0920 PM    5 NW ATLANTIC             IA   1 INCH HAIL
05/21/98   CASS

0920 PM    2 E ATLANTIC              IA   60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/21/98   CASS                           HAIL OF UNKNOWN SIZE
                                          COVERED THE GROUND

0920 PM    1 N ANITA                 IA   TORNADO
05/21/98   CASS                           GRAIN BINS AND SHEDS
                                          DESTROYED

0920 PM    6 N ANITA                 IA   70 MPH TSTM GUST
05/21/98   AUDUBON                        WINDOWS BLOWN OUT OF HOMES

0923 PM    3 N WIOTA                 IA   1 INCH HAIL
05/21/98   CASS

0923 PM    1 N ANITA                 IA   1 INCH HAIL
05/21/98   CASS

0924 PM    BRAYTON                   IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   AUDUBON                        TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWNED

0945 PM    FONTANELLE                IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   ADAIR                          ROOF TORN OFF SCHOOL

0950 PM    BRIDGEWATER               IA   70 MPH TSTM GUST
05/21/98   ADAIR                          POWER LINES DOWNED

1030 PM    MACKSBURG                 IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   MADISON                        UNKNOWN DAMAGE TO
                                          BUILDINGS. TREES DOWNED.

1030 PM    TRURO                     IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   MADISON                        TREES DOWNED

1035 PM    3 NW CRESTON              IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   UNION                          *** 1 INJ ***
                                          CAMPERS OVERTURNED AT
                                          GREEN VALLEY STATE PARK

1035 PM    ADEL                      IA   60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/21/98   DALLAS

1040 PM    TRURO                     IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   MADISON                        TREES DOWNED

1108 PM    3 NW INDIANOLA            IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   WARREN                         LARGE TREES DOWNED

1130 PM    8 S HUMESTON              IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   WAYNE                          SHEDS DESTROYED. BUILDINGS
                                          HEAVILY DAMAGED.

1140 PM    LUCAS                     IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   LUCAS                          POWER LINES DOWNED

1140 PM    CORYDON                   IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   WAYNE                          TREE DOWNED THROUGH HOUSE

1215 AM    CENTERVILLE               IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/22/98   APPANOOSE                      TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWNED

Local storm report, May 22, 12:36 AM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1236 AM CDT FRI MAY 22 1998

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0915 PM    ANITA                     IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   CASS                           POWER POLES DOWNED.
                                          NUMEROUS TREES BLOCKING
                                          ROADS

0920 PM    BRAYTON                   IA   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/21/98   AUDUBON

0920 PM    5 NW ATLANTIC             IA   1 INCH HAIL
05/21/98   CASS

0920 PM    2 E ATLANTIC              IA   60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/21/98   CASS                           HAIL OF UNKNOWN SIZE
                                          COVERED THE GROUND

0920 PM    1 N ANITA                 IA   TORNADO
05/21/98   CASS                           GRAIN BINS AND SHEDS
                                          DESTROYED

0920 PM    6 N ANITA                 IA   70 MPH TSTM GUST
05/21/98   AUDUBON                        WINDOWS BLOWN OUT OF HOMES

0923 PM    3 N WIOTA                 IA   1 INCH HAIL
05/21/98   CASS

0923 PM    1 N ANITA                 IA   1 INCH HAIL
05/21/98   CASS

0924 PM    BRAYTON                   IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   AUDUBON                        TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWNED

0945 PM    FONTANELLE                IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   ADAIR                          ROOF TORN OFF SCHOOL

0950 PM    BRIDGEWATER               IA   70 MPH TSTM GUST
05/21/98   ADAIR                          POWER LINES DOWNED

1030 PM    MACKSBURG                 IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   MADISON                        UNKNOWN DAMAGE TO
                                          BUILDINGS. TREES DOWNED.

1030 PM    TRURO                     IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   MADISON                        TREES DOWNED

1035 PM    3 NW CRESTON              IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   UNION                          *** 1 INJ ***
                                          CAMPERS OVERTURNED AT
                                          GREEN VALLEY STATE PARK

1035 PM    ADEL                      IA   60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/21/98   DALLAS

1040 PM    TRURO                     IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   MADISON                        TREES DOWNED

1105 PM    OSCEOLA                   IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   CLARKE                         TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWNED

1108 PM    3 NW INDIANOLA            IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   WARREN                         LARGE TREES DOWNED

1130 PM    8 S HUMESTON              IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   WAYNE                          SHEDS DESTROYED. BUILDINGS
                                          HEAVILY DAMAGED.

1140 PM    CORYDON                   IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   WAYNE                          TREE DOWNED THROUGH HOUSE

1140 PM    LUCAS                     IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   LUCAS                          POWER LINES DOWNED

1215 AM    CENTERVILLE               IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/22/98   APPANOOSE                      TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWNED

Local storm report, May 22, 12:40 AM CDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1240 AM CDT FRI MAY 22 1998

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1015 PM    5 W GREENFIELD            IA   77 MPH TSTM GUST
05/21/98   ADAIR

Local storm report, May 22, 1:59 AM CDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
159 AM CDT FRI MAY 22 1998

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1040 AM    TRURO                     IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   MADISON                        TREES DOWNED

1040 AM    CRESTON                   IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   UNION                          SOUTH WALL OF HEAT TECH
                                          BUILDING DAMAGED BY WIND.

Local storm report, May 22, 2:02 AM CDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
202 AM CDT FRI MAY 22 1998

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1040 PM    CRESTON                   IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   UNION                          HOG CONFINEMENT LOT
                                          DAMAGED 6 MILES NORTH OF
                                          CRESTON.

1040 PM    CRESTON                   IA   WIND DAMAGE
05/21/98   UNION                          SOUTH WALL OF HEAT TECH
                                          BUILDING DMAGED BY WIND.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 21, 8:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Audubon, Cass	31 min
May 21, 9:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair, Guthrie	31 min
May 21, 10:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Dallas, Madison	41 min
May 21, 10:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Union	47 min
May 21, 10:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Clarke	48 min
May 21, 10:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Warren	50 min
May 21, 11:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Decatur	44 min
May 21, 11:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Lucas	47 min
May 21, 11:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Wayne	48 min
May 21, 11:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Marion	49 min
May 21, 11:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Appanoose, Monroe	49 min
May 22, 12:27 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Davis	48 min
May 22, 1:53 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair	32 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1998 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998

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.