Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Des Moines, IA

April 30, 20034 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Apr 30, 2003, 6:50 PM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 6 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 30, 2003, 6:50 PM CDT (23:50 UTC)
Expired
May 1, 2003, 12:45 AM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Lucas County, IA, Mahaska County, IA, Marion County, IA, Monroe County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:52 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 208 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, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2003-04-30Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2003-04-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 478 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
849 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
478 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
567 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 
WGUS53 KDMX 302352
FFWDMX
IAC117-123-125-135-010545-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
650 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  LUCAS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
  MAHASKA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
  MARION COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
  MONROE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA

* UNTIL 1245 AM

* AT 647 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS IN THE WARNING AREA.

* THUNDERSTORMS ARE CONTINUOUSLY REDEVELOPING...RESULTING IN   
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. RAINFALL RATES WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 1.5 INCHES PER  
HOUR. THIS WILL PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING ALONG THE SMALL STREAMS AND 
CREEKS IN THE COUNTIES.

OTHER WARNING LOCATIONS INCLUDE...
ALBIA...ALBIA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...BARNES CITY...BEACON...BUSSEY...
CHARITON...CHARITON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...DERBY...FREMONT...HAMILTON...
HARVEY...KEOMAH VILLAGE...KNOXVILLE...KNOXVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...
LEIGHTON...LOVILIA...LUCAS...MARYSVILLE...MELCHER-DALLAS...MELROSE...
NEW SHARON...OSKALOOSA...OSKALOOSA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...PELLA...PELLA
MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...PLEASANTVILLE...ROSE HILL...RUSSELL...SWAN...
UNIVERSITY PARK AND WILLIAMSON

FLASH FLOODS OCCUR QUICKLY...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. AVOID WATER
COVERED ROADS...THE ROAD MAY BE WASHED OUT. LESS THAN ONE FOOT OF
FAST FLOWING WATER CAN SWEEP AN AUTOMOBILE OFF THE ROAD.

LAT...LON 4152 9243 4117 9243 4118 9267 4092 9269
          4092 9357 4115 9355 4117 9332 4151 9333

FORSTER

$$
4 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS73 KDMX 010029
FFSDMX
IAC117-123-125-135-010130-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
728 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR MAHASKA...MARION...LUCAS AND 
MONROE COUNTIES UNTIL 1245 AM...

AT 728 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS OVER THE 
FOUR COUNTY AREA.  

THE GROUND IS ALREADY SATURATED BY RAINFALL IN THE WARNING AREA...AND
ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT RUNOFF INTO
SWOLLEN WATERWAYS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL
RATES OF ** TO ** INCHES PER HOUR. THIS WILL PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING
ALONG THE **STREAMS**.

FLASH FLOODS OCCUR QUICKLY...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. AVOID WATER
COVERED ROADS...THE ROAD MAY BE WASHED OUT. LESS THAN ONE FOOT OF
FAST FLOWING WATER CAN SWEEP AN AUTOMOBILE OFF THE ROAD.

LAT...LON 4152 9243 4117 9243 4118 9267 4092 9269
          4092 9357 4115 9355 4117 9332 4151 9333

FORSTER

$$
000 
WGUS73 KDMX 010119
FFSDMX
IAC117-123-125-135-010230-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
820 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR MAHASKA...MARION...LUCAS AND 
MONROE COUNTIES UNTIL 1245 AM...

AT 820 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS OVER THE 
FOUR COUNTY AREA OR EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA BEFORE 10 PM. 

THE GROUND IS ALREADY SATURATED BY RAINFALL IN THE WARNING AREA...AND
ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT RUNOFF INTO
SWOLLEN WATERWAYS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL 
RATES OF 1/2 INCH TO 1 INCH PER HOUR. THIS WILL PRODUCE FLASH 
FLOODING ALONG THE SMALLER STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE FOUR COUNTY 
AREA.  

FLASH FLOODS OCCUR QUICKLY...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. AVOID 
WATER COVERED ROADS...THE ROAD MAY BE WASHED OUT. LESS THAN ONE FOOT 
OF FAST FLOWING WATER CAN SWEEP AN AUTOMOBILE OFF THE ROAD.

LAT...LON 4152 9243 4117 9243 4118 9267 4092 9269
          4092 9357 4115 9355 4117 9332 4151 9333

FORSTER

$$
000 
WGUS73 KDMX 010220
FFSDMX
IAC117-123-125-135-010330-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
920 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR MAHASKA...MARION...LUCAS AND 
MONROE COUNTIES UNTIL 1245 AM...

AT 920 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS MOVING INTO THE FOUR 
COUNTY AREA. 

THE GROUND IS ALREADY SATURATED BY RAINFALL IN THE WARNING AREA...AND
ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT RUNOFF INTO
SWOLLEN WATERWAYS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL 
RATES OF 1/2 INCH TO 1 INCH PER HOUR. THIS WILL PRODUCE FLASH 
FLOODING ALONG THE SMALLER STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE FOUR COUNTY 
AREA.  

FLASH FLOODS OCCUR QUICKLY...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. AVOID 
WATER COVERED ROADS...THE ROAD MAY BE WASHED OUT. LESS THAN ONE FOOT 
OF FAST FLOWING WATER CAN SWEEP AN AUTOMOBILE OFF THE ROAD.

LAT...LON 4152 9243 4117 9243 4118 9267 4092 9269
          4092 9357 4115 9355 4117 9332 4151 9333

FORSTER

$$
000 
WGUS73 KDMX 010305
FFSDMX
IAC117-123-125-135-010400-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1004 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR MAHASKA...
MARION...LUCAS AND MONROE COUNTIES UNTIL 1100 PM HAS BEEN
CANCELLED...

STORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED AREA...THUS THE WARNING HAS BEEN
CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 4152 9243 4117 9243 4118 9267 4092 9269
          4092 9357 4115 9355 4117 9332 4151 9333
$$
FORSTER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 29, 9:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford26 min
Apr 29, 9:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAudubon, Carroll47 min
Apr 30, 12:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPolk29 min
Apr 30, 3:06 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair24 min
Apr 30, 6:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper28 min
Apr 30, 7:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas, Polk31 min
Apr 30, 7:45 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMadison, Warren30 min
Apr 30, 7:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMadison, Warren28 min
Apr 30, 7:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPolk26 min
Apr 30, 4:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWapello32 min
Apr 30, 5:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXRinggold33 min
Apr 30, 5:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMonroe37 min
Apr 30, 5:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLucas46 min
Apr 30, 5:55 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMonroe50 min
Apr 30, 5:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMahaska, Marion63 min
Apr 30, 5:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDecatur31 min
Apr 30, 6:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWayne35 min
Apr 30, 6:22 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXWapello53 min
Apr 30, 6:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXRinggold52 min
Apr 30, 6:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLucas45 min
Apr 30, 6:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMonroe65 min
Apr 30, 6:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWayne46 min
Apr 30, 6:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAppanoose55 min
Apr 30, 6:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDecatur54 min
Apr 30, 6:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCass36 min
Apr 30, 6:57 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXDecatur, Ringgold48 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2003Every flash flood warning in 2003

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.