Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 4, 20034 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at May 4, 2003, 10:44 AM 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
May 4, 2003, 10:44 AM CDT (15:44 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2003, 4:30 PM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Boone County, IA, Dallas County, IA, Greene County, IA, Polk County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 34 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:48 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

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 204 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 2003-05-04Temperature 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 2003-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 375 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
558 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
375 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
509 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 041543
FFWDMX
IAC015-049-073-153-042130-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1044 AM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN AND WESTERN BOONE COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA
  DALLAS COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA
  POLK COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF DES MOINES
  GREENE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA

* UNTIL 430 PM

* AT 1027 AM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS IN THE WARNING AREA.
  UP TO TWO INCHES HAS FALLEN IN THE WARNING AREAS WITH ANOTHER 1 TO
  2 INCHES EXPECTED THROUGH NOONTIME.

* THUNDERSTORMS ARE CONTINUOUSLY REDEVELOPING...RESULTING IN
  EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. RAINFALL RATES WILL AVERAGE AROUND 1 INCH
  PER HOUR THROUGH MIDDAY. THIS WILL PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING ALONG
  WALNUT CREEK IN DALLAS AND POLK COUNTIES...HARDIN AND GREENBRIER
  CREEKS IN GREENE COUNTY AND TRIBUTARIES TO BEAVER CREEK IN BOONE
  AND POLK COUNTIES.  

OTHER WARNING LOCATIONS INCLUDE...
ADEL...ALLEMAN...ALTOONA...ANKENY...ANKENY REGIONAL AIRPORT...
BEAVER...BERKLEY...BONDURANT...BOUTON...CHURDAN...CLIVE...DALLAS
CENTER...DANA...DAWSON...DE SOTO...DES MOINES MORNINGSTAR AIRPORT...
ELKHART...GRAND JUNCTION...GRANGER...GRIMES...JEFFERSON...JEFFERSON
MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...JOHNSTON...MADRID...MINBURN...OGDEN...PATON...
PERRY...PERRY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...PLEASANT HILL...POLK CITY...
REDFIELD...RIPPEY...SAYLORVILLE...SCRANTON...URBANDALE...VAN METER...
WAUKEE...WEST DES MOINES...WINDSOR HEIGHTS AND WOODWARD

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 4221 9417 4200 9393 4184 9369 4185 9337
          4153 9337 4151 9422 4188 9430 4189 9465
          4220 9465

COGIL

$$
6 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS73 KDMX 041647
FFSDMX
IAC015-049-073-153-042130-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1145 AM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR GREENE...SOUTHERN AND WESTERN 
BOONE...POLK AND DALLAS COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM...

AT 1145 AM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS OVER 
GREENE...POLK...DALLAS AND BOONE COUNTIES.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE CONTINUOUSLY REDEVELOPING OVER THE WARNING 
AREA...RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. RAIN AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 
INCHES HAVE BEEN WIDESPREAD FROM CENTRAL GREENE COUNTY INTO MOST OF 
DALLAS AND WESTERN POLK COUNTIES. RAINFALL RATES WILL AVERAGE AROUND 
1 INCH PER HOUR. THIS WILL PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING ALONG THE CREEKS 
AND STREAMS INCLUDING WALNUT AND JORDON CREEKS IN DALLAS AND POLK 
COUNTIES...TRIBUTARIES TO BEAVER CREEK IN BOONE AND POLK COUNTIES 
AND GREENBRIER AND HARDIN CREEK IN GREENE COUNTY. THE RAINFALL 
SHOULD BEGIN TO TAPER OFF ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA AFTER 1230 PM AS THE 
THUNDERSTORMS GRADUALLY MOVE NORTHEAST.  HOWEVER...RISES AND 
FLOODING WILL CONTINUE AFTER THE RAIN ENDS.

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 4219 9464 4189 9462 4190 9428 4153 9424
          4152 9336 4183 9337 4184 9371 4221 9420

COGIL

$$
000 
WGUS73 KDMX 041800
FFSDMX
IAC015-049-073-153-041900-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR GREENE...SOUTHERN AND WESTERN 
BOONE...POLK AND DALLAS COUNTIES UNTIL 145 PM...

AT 1244 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS OVER 
GREENE...POLK...DALLAS AND BOONE COUNTIES.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE CONTINUOUSLY REDEVELOPING OVER THE WARNING 
AREA...RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 
INCHES HAVE BEEN WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE WARNING AREA. THE WAUKEE 
WATER WORKS HAS REPORTED 3.5 INCHES OF RAIN. AT 12 PM...CLIVE PUBLIC 
WORKS REPORTED A PORTION OF SWANSON BOULEVARD WAS CLOSED BETWEEN 
NORTHWEST 86TH STREET AND NORTHWEST 100TH STREET...AND SANDBAGGING 
EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY.

HEAVY RAIN IS PRODUCING RISES ALONG WALNUT AND FOUR MILE CREEKS. 
CURRENT STAGE ON WALNUT CREEK AT THE INTERSTATE 35 AND 80 GAGE IS 
NEAR 9 FEET WHICH IS BANKFULL. FLOOD STAGE IS 11 FEET AND THE CREEK 
WILL APPROACH THAT LEVEL LATER TODAY. ON WALNUT CREEK AT 63RD STREET 
IN DES MOINES THE CURRRENT STAGE IS NEAR 12 FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 13 
FEET AND THE CREEK WILL NEAR FLOOD STAGE LATER TODAY.

HEAVY RAINS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE NORTH OF BOONE...POLK...AND 
DALLAS COUNTIES THROUGH 2 PM...BUT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO 
TRACK ACROSS GREENE COUNTY. RISES AND FLOODING WILL CONTINUE AFTER 
THE RAIN ENDS.

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 4219 9466 4191 9467 4188 9430 4151 9422
          4153 9337 4184 9337 4185 9371 4221 9417

KINNEY

$$
000 
WGUS73 KDMX 041812 CCA
FFSDMX
IAC015-049-073-153-042130-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT...CORRECTED EXPIRATION TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
111 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR GREENE...SOUTHERN AND WESTERN 
BOONE...POLK AND DALLAS COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM...

AT 1244 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS OVER 
GREENE...POLK...DALLAS AND BOONE COUNTIES.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE CONTINUOUSLY REDEVELOPING OVER THE WARNING 
AREA...RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 
INCHES HAVE BEEN WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE WARNING AREA. THE WAUKEE 
WATER WORKS HAS REPORTED 3.5 INCHES OF RAIN. AT 12 PM...CLIVE PUBLIC 
WORKS REPORTED A PORTION OF SWANSON BOULEVARD WAS CLOSED BETWEEN 
NORTHWEST 86TH STREET AND NORTHWEST 100TH STREET...AND SANDBAGGING 
EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY.

HEAVY RAIN IS PRODUCING RISES ALONG WALNUT AND FOUR MILE CREEKS. 
CURRENT STAGE ON WALNUT CREEK AT THE INTERSTATE 35 AND 80 GAGE IS 
NEAR 9 FEET WHICH IS BANKFULL. FLOOD STAGE IS 11 FEET AND THE CREEK 
WILL APPROACH THAT LEVEL LATER TODAY. ON WALNUT CREEK AT 63RD STREET 
IN DES MOINES THE CURRENT STAGE IS NEAR 12 FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 13 
FEET AND THE CREEK WILL CREST NEAR FLOOD STAGE LATER TODAY.

HEAVY RAINS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE NORTH OF BOONE...POLK...AND 
DALLAS COUNTIES THROUGH 2 PM...BUT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO 
TRACK ACROSS GREENE COUNTY. RISES AND FLOODING WILL CONTINUE AFTER 
THE RAIN ENDS.

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 4219 9466 4191 9467 4188 9430 4151 9422
          4153 9337 4184 9337 4185 9371 4221 9417

KINNEY

$$
000 
WGUS73 KDMX 041906
FFSDMX
IAC015-049-073-153-042130-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
205 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR GREENE...SOUTHERN AND WESTERN 
BOONE...POLK AND DALLAS COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM...

AT 200 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING 
THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED NORTH OF THE WARNING AREA. 
HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL FLOODING AND RISES ALONG AREA CREEKS AND 
STREAMS WILL OCCUR THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.

IN POLK COUNTY...LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A PORTION OF BEAVER CREEK 
WAS OUT OF ITS BANKS IN JOHNSTON...ALONG A PORTION OF NORTHWEST 62ND 
AVENUE. ALSO...THE DALLAS COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENTS INDICATES 
WATER IS COVERING MANY COUNTY ROADS ACROSS THE COUNTY AT THIS TIME.

ALTHOUGH THERE IS NOW A BREAK IN THE THUNDERSTORM 
ACTIVITY...ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LOCALLY 
HEAVY RAIN ARE LIKELY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WHICH COULD 
AGGRAVATE THE FLOODING SITUATION.

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 4219 9467 4191 9467 4187 9431 4152 9423
          4154 9338 4184 9337 4184 9368 4221 9417

KINNEY

$$
000 
WGUS73 KDMX 042010
FFSDMX
IAC015-049-073-153-042130-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
308 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR GREENE...SOUTHERN AND WESTERN 
BOONE...POLK AND DALLAS COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM...

AT 300 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING 
THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED NORTH OF THE WARNING AREA. 
HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL FLOODING AND RISES ALONG AREA CREEKS AND 
STREAMS WILL OCCUR THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. SEE FLOOD WARNING PRODUCT 
DSMFLWDMX FOR ADDITIONAL CREST FORECAST DETAILS ON WALNUT CREEK AND 
FOUR MILE CREEK.

LAW ENFORCEMENT IN DALLAS...POLK AND GREENE COUNTIES REPORTED CREEKS 
AND STREAMS OUT OF THEIR BANKS AND WATER OVER ROADWAYS EARLIER THIS 
AFTERNOON.

ALTHOUGH THERE IS NOW A BREAK IN THE THUNDERSTORM 
ACTIVITY...ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LOCALLY 
HEAVY RAIN ARE LIKELY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WHICH COULD 
AGGRAVATE THE FLOODING SITUATION.

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 4220 9464 4191 9465 4188 9430 4152 9421
          4154 9340 4184 9338 4186 9370 4221 9417

KINNEY

$$
000 
WGUS73 KDMX 042139
FFSDMX
IAC015-049-073-153-042130-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
440 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR GREENE...SOUTHERN AND WESTERN 
BOONE...POLK AND DALLAS COUNTIES ALLOWED TO EXPIRE...

AT 430 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING 
RAINS HAD MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED AREA. SMALL STREAMS HAVE CRESTED 
AND WILL BEGIN TO SUBSIDE UNLESS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OCCURS ACROSS 
THE AREA.

LAT...LON 4220 9464 4191 9465 4188 9430 4152 9421
          4154 9340 4184 9338 4186 9370 4221 9417

PC

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 4:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXTaylor47 min
May 4, 5:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXRinggold, Taylor, Union46 min
May 4, 6:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClarke, Decatur46 min
May 4, 5:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCass43 min
May 4, 5:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAudubon44 min
May 4, 5:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdams54 min
May 4, 5:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXTaylor50 min
May 4, 6:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair38 min
May 4, 6:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCerro Gordo, Hancock28 min
May 4, 6:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXUnion40 min
May 4, 6:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair, Madison62 min
May 4, 6:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXTaylor44 min
May 4, 6:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdams41 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.