Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 22, NWS La Crosse, WI

June 16, 2004Fayette County, Iowa

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this flash flood warning at Jun 16, 2004, 5:38 AM CDT for Fayette County, Iowa. It was in force for 4 hr. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Jun 16, 2004, 5:38 AM CDT (10:38 UTC)
Expired: Jun 16, 2004, 9:30 AM CDT
In force: 4 hr
Issued by: NWS La Crosse, WI
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Fayette County, IA

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 127 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:39 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jun 16, 5:38 AM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Oelwein, IA	STREET FLOODING CAUSING ROAD CLOSURES. CARS STALLED FROM FLOOD WATERS.
Jun 16, 6:30 AM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Oelwein, IA	2.5 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN IN 30 TO 45 MINUTES. ADDITIONAL STREET FLOODING AND ROAD CLOSURES.
Jun 16, 6:30 AM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Oelwein, IA	2.5 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN IN 30 TO 45 MINUTES. ADDITIONAL STREET FLOODING AND ROAD CLOSURES.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 164 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: 2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -306 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1680 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 40 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 117 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 KARX 161038
FFWARX
IAC065-161430-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
538 AM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  FAYETTE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA

* UNTIL 930 AM CDT

* AT 538 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED 
  THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF
  FAYETTE COUNTY. ESTIMATES FROM RADAR INDICATED THAT 2 TO 3 INCHES
  OF RAIN HAS FALLEN DURING THE PAST 90 MINUTES OVER THE WARNED
  AREA. THE STORMS PRODUCING THE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE MOVING 
  NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.  THE FAYETTE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS
  THAT WATER WAS OVER THE ROADWAY ON HIGHWAY 150 NEAR THE JUNCTION
  WITH HIGHWAY 281.  AT LEAST ONE CAR WAS STRANDED IN THE HIGH WATER.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...ARLINGTON... 
  FAYETTE...MAYNARD...AND OELWEIN.


A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FORGE
FLOODED ROADWAYS BY FOOT OR AUTOMOBILE. IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS...
ABANDON IT IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK HIGHER GROUND.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE
INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER
CAN CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES INCLUDING SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND
PICKUPS. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

LAT...LON 4264 9161 4264 9205 4294 9191 4295 9161

$$

MW

2 follow-up statements

000 
WGUS73 KARX 161156
FFSARX
IAC065-161430-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
655 AM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 AM CDT FOR
FAYETTE COUNTY...

AT 655 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF WEST UNION 
TO 7 MILES SOUTH OF WEST UNION. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES THAT FROM 
2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE 430 AM THIS MORNING OVER 
PARTS OF SOUTHERN FAYETTE COUNTY...NEAR OELWEIN. THE STORMS 
PRODUCING THE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH.

THE OELWEIN POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THAT FLOODING CONTINUES ALONG 
HIGHWAY 150...NEAR THE JUNCTION WITH HIGHWAY 281.  THE FAYETTE 
COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS THAT WATER WAS ALSO RIGHT UP TO THE 
EDGE OF THE ROAD ALONG HIGHWAY W33 NEAR THE JUNCTION WITH HIGHWAY 
3.  OELWEIN EXPERIENCED A GOOD DEAL OF STREET FLOODING DURING THE 
PEAK OF THE RAIN...BUT THAT HAS NOW SUBSIDED.  PARKS IN OELWEIN ARE 
STILL FLOODING...AND A WALK BRIDGE WAS WASHED OUT. 

THE RAINFALL INTENSITY HAS DIMINISHED CONSIDERABLY SINCE 
630 AM...AND THE THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING IS DIMINISHING.
HOWEVER...SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY STILL EXPERIENCE HIGH WATER 
INCLUDE FAYETTE...MAYNARD AND OELWEIN.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. 
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE 
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FORGE 
FLOODED ROADWAYS BY FOOT OR AUTOMOBILE. IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS... 
ABANDON IT IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK HIGHER GROUND.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE
INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER
CAN CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES INCLUDING SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND
PICKUPS. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

LAT...LON 4265 9202 4280 9197 4284 9194 4286 9194
      4294 9190 4294 9162 4265 9162 4265 9162

$$

MW

000 
WGUS73 KARX 161345
FFSARX
IAC065-161400-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
845 AM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR FAYETTE COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELED...

REPORTS FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AT 840 AM INDICATE THAT FLOOD WATERS 
HAVE RECEDED.  AS A RESULT...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR FAYETTE 
COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELED.

LAT...LON 4265 9202 4280 9197 4284 9194 4286 9194
      4294 9190 4294 9162 4265 9162 4265 9162

$$

KRC

The office that day

Everything else NWS La Crosse, WI issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 16, 2:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Howard	55 min
Jun 16, 2:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Mitchell	56 min
Jun 16, 3:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Floyd	53 min
Jun 16, 4:12 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ARX	Howard, Mitchell	4 hr
Jun 16, 5:16 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ARX	Fayette	4 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2004 Every flash flood warning in 2004

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.