Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS La Crosse, WI

May 21, 2004Howard County, Mitchell County, Iowa

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this flash flood warning at May 21, 2004, 9:08 PM CDT for Howard County, Mitchell County, Iowa. It was in force for 3 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 21, 2004, 9:08 PM CDT (02:08 UTC)
Expired
May 22, 2004, 12:15 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Howard County, IA, Mitchell County, IA

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 130 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:11 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

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 2.1 hours before the alert went out and 185 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 220210
FFWARX
IAC089-131-220515-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  MITCHELL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA
  HOWARD COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA

* UNTIL 1215 AM CDT

* AT 910 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED
  THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER OSAGE SPRING PARK...OR
  ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OSAGE. ESTIMATES FROM RADAR INDICATED
  THAT NEARLY 1 INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN DURING THE PAST HOUR OVER THE
  WARNED AREA. ADDITIONAL STORMS WERE LOCATED BACK OVER NORTH        
  CENTRAL IOWA. ALL OF THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...CRESCO...ELMA...LIME
  SPRINGS...OSAGE...RICEVILLE...ST. ANSGAR AND STACYVILLE.

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 4323 9302 4323 9210 4348 9210 4350 9302

$$

RABERDING
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS73 KARX 220317
FFSARX
IAC089-131-220515-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1016 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 AM CDT FOR
HOWARD AND MITCHELL COUNTIES...

AT 1014 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA. LAW ENFORCEMENT 
IN HOWARD COUNTY REPORT MANY SECONDARY ROADS CLOSED DUE TO HIGH 
WATER. MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS 
THE AREA...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF AN INCH PER HOUR IN THE STRONGER 
STORMS. THE STORMS PRODUCING THE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE MOVING 
EAST AT 40 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...CRESCO...ELMA...LIME
SPRINGS...OSAGE...RICEVILLE...ST. ANSGAR AND STACYVILLE.

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 4323 9302 4323 9210 4348 9210 4350 9302

$$

RABERDING
000 
WGUS73 KARX 220412
FFSARX
IAC089-131-220515-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1111 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 AM CDT FOR
HOWARD AND MITCHELL COUNTIES...

AT 1111 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER RICEVILLE...OR ABOUT 14
MILES NORTHEAST OF OSAGE. ESTIMATES FROM RADAR INDICATED THAT NEARLY 
2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN DURING THE PAST 3 HOURS OVER THE 
WARNED AREA. THE STORMS PRODUCING THE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE 
MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...CRESCO...ELMA...LIME
SPRINGS...OSAGE...ST. ANSGAR...STACYVILLE AND HAYDEN PRAIRIE.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS. IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. MOVE TO
HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO
FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

LAT...LON 4323 9302 4323 9210 4348 9210 4350 9302

$$

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, 8:35 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXClayton, Fayette3 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.