Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 5, NWS La Crosse, WI

May 21, 2004Clayton County, Fayette County, Iowa

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this flash flood warning at May 21, 2004, 8:35 PM CDT for Clayton County, Fayette County, Iowa. It was in force for 3 hr. 4 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
May 21, 2004, 8:35 PM CDT (01:35 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 2004, 11:30 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Clayton County, IA, Fayette County, IA

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:36 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 21, 9:01 PM CDTFLASH FLOODClermont, IAFLOODING REPORTED IN THE CITY
May 21, 9:01 PM CDTFLASH FLOODClermont, IAFLOODING REPORTED IN THE CITY
May 21, 9:01 PM CDTFLASH FLOODClermont, IAFLOODING REPORTED IN THE CITY
May 21, 9:01 PM CDTFLASH FLOODClermont, IAFLOODING REPORTED IN THE CITY

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

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 264 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2004-05-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2004-05-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 215 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
512 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
74 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
215 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
257 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS53 KARX 220136
FFWARX
IAC043-065-220430-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
835 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 1130 PM CDT

* AT 835 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED
  THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES
  NORTH OF WEST UNION TO 8 MILES WEST OF OELWEIN. ESTIMATES FROM
  RADAR INDICATED THAT NEARLY 1 INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN DURING THE   
  PAST HOUR JUST WEST OF THE WARNED AREA. THIS RAIN WILL MOVE OVER   
  GROUNDS THAT ARE ALREADY SATURATED. THE STORMS PRODUCING THE VERY  
  HEAVY RAINFALL WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...ARLINGTON...
  CLERMONT...ELGIN...ELKADER...FARMERSBURG...FAYETTE AND GARNAVILLO.

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.

LAT...LON 4307 9190 4271 9209 4273 9124 4306 9124

$$

RIECK
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS73 KARX 220215
FFSARX
IAC043-065-220430-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
915 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1130 PM CDT FOR
CLAYTON AND FAYETTE COUNTIES...

AT 912 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN 4 MILES SOUTH OF ELGIN...OR ABOUT 11 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF WEST UNION. ESTIMATES FROM RADAR INDICATED THAT NEARLY 1
INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN DURING THE PAST HOUR OVER THE WARNED AREA.
THE STORMS PRODUCING THE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE MOVING EAST AT 45 
MPH. LAW ENFORCEMENT IN FAYETTE COUNTY REPORTS WATER OVER THE ROAD 
AT HIGHWAY 18 AND X AVENUE. ALSO THE LITTLE TURKEY RIVER WAS OUT OF 
ITS BANKS IN WAUCOMA AND ST. LUCAS.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...ARLINGTON...CLERMONT...
ELKADER...FARMERSBURG...FAYETTE...GARNAVILLO AND HAWKEYE.

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.

LAT...LON 4307 9190 4271 9209 4273 9124 4306 9124

$$

RABERDING
000 
WGUS73 KARX 220337
FFSARX
IAC043-065-220430-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1037 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1130 PM CDT FOR
CLAYTON AND FAYETTE COUNTIES...

AT 1033 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER FAYETTE...OR ABOUT 8 
MILES SOUTH OF WEST UNION. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO 
DEVELOP TO THE WEST OF THE AREA. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 
1 AND 2 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH 1130 PM. LAW ENFORCEMENT IN 
FAYETTE AND CLAYTON COUNTIES STATES HIGHWAY 18 NEAR HAWKEYE WAS 
UNDER WATER AND THERE WAS STREET FLOODING IN MCGREGOR. THE STORMS PRODUCING 
THE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...ARLINGTON...CLERMONT...
ELGIN...ELKADER...FARMERSBURG...GARNAVILLO AND HAWKEYE.

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.

LAT...LON 4307 9190 4271 9209 4273 9124 4306 9124

$$

RABERDING

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 21, 7:00 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXChickasaw, Floyd3 hr
May 21, 7:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXClayton35 min
May 21, 7:41 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXAllamakee, Winneshiek3 hr
May 21, 9:08 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXHoward, Mitchell3 hr
May 21, 9:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXClayton51 min
May 21, 9:57 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXChickasaw, Floyd3 hr
May 21, 10:45 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXAllamakee, Winneshiek3 hr
May 21, 11:28 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXClayton, Fayette3 hr
May 22, 12:11 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXHoward, Mitchell3 hr
May 22, 12:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXFloyd57 min
May 22, 12:59 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXChickasaw, Floyd3 hr
May 22, 2:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXFayette38 min
May 22, 2:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXClayton44 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2004Every 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.