Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 24, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 24, 20045 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at May 24, 2004, 7:11 PM CDT for 5 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 18 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 24, 2004, 7:11 PM CDT (00:11 UTC)
Expired: May 25, 2004, 1:15 PM CDT
In force: 18 hr
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Adair County, IA, Clarke County, IA, Lucas County, IA, Union County, IA, Wayne County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:14 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 205 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 508 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -118 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -81 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS53 KDMX 250012
FFWDMX
IAC001-039-117-175-185-250615-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
711 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CLARKE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
  LUCAS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
  UNION COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
  WAYNE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
  ADAIR COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA

* UNTIL 115 AM

* AT 709 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS IN THE WARNING AREA.

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

OTHER WARNING LOCATIONS INCLUDE...
AFTON...ALLERTON...ARISPE...BRIDGEWATER...CHARITON...CHARITON
MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...CLIO...CORYDON...CRESTON...CRESTON MUNICIPAL
AIRPORT...CROMWELL...DERBY...FONTANELLE...GREENFIELD...GREENFIELD
MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...HUMESTON...KENT...LORIMOR...LUCAS...MILLERTON...
MURRAY...ORIENT...OSCEOLA...OSCEOLA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...PROMISE
CITY...RUSSELL...SEYMOUR...THAYER...WILLIAMSON AND WOODBURN

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 4113 9310 4063 9311 4058 9352 4088 9357
          4092 9451 4114 9447 4120 9468 4147 9473
          4147 9428 4117 9425

$$

FORSTER

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 24, 3:17 PM CDT, 3 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 24, 3:17 PM CDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
317 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

.DISCUSSION...
SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN SHORT TERM WITH PDS WATCHES AS ELEMENTS HAVE
COME TOGETHER FOR ACTIVE WEATHER NIGHT.  PLENTY OF MOISTURE...
INSTABILITY AND SHEAR AVAILABLE FOR ALL MODES OF SEVERE WEATHER.
INTENSE RAINFALL RATES AND LOW GUIDANCE FROM PREVIOUS HEAVY RAINS
ALSO PRESENT A FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL.  HAVE LEFT FLOOD HEADLINES
ALONE ALONG WITH VARIOUS CONVECTIVE WATCHES.

SYSTEM TO BLOW THROUGH TONIGHT WITH SUBSIDENCE AND SFC HIGH TO
PROVIDE CALM WEATHER INTO MID WEEK.  NEXT WESTERN TROF TO DEVELOP BY
LATE IN THE WEEK WITH INCREASING CHANCES OF CONVECTION INTO NEXT
WEEKEND.  WL ONCE AGAIN HAVE TO WATCH HYDRO AS DEEP MOIST SOUTHERLY
FLOW DEVELOPS.

&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...FLOOD WATCH ENTIRE CWA UNTIL 4 AM
TUESDAY.

&&

COGIL

Hazardous weather outlook, May 24, 7:01 AM CDT, 12 hours 10 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
701 AM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHERN IOWA THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

IAZ081>086-092>097-251100-
ADAMS-APPANOOSE-CLARKE-DAVIS-DECATUR-LUCAS-MONROE-RINGGOLD-TAYLOR-
UNION-WAPELLO-WAYNE-
701 AM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN IOWA...SOUTH OF
HIGHWAY 34.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS SOUTHERN IOWA FROM
MID AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. STRONG WIND SHEAR AND
INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...WITH VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE DURING THIS
TIME FRAME...A FEW POTENTIALLY STRONG. THE MAIN AREA FOR THESE
THREATS FROM MID AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING IS ALONG AND
SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM CORNING TO CRESTON TO MOUNT AYR. THEN
DURING THE EVENING HOURS...A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX IS EXPECTED
TO EVOLVE AND RACE EASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHERN IOWA...WITH THE MAIN
THREAT OF VERY STRONG DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. SOME LOCATIONS
WILL RECEIVE 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL...WITH ISOLATED 3 INCH
AMOUNTS. ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT GIVEN THE
SATURATED SOIL CONDITIONS. HEAVY RAINS WILL ALSO AGGRAVATE THE
ONGOING RIVER AND STREAM FLOODING SITUATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AT VARIOUS TIMES FROM FRIDAY INTO THE
WEEKEND. SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE...BUT IT IS TOO EARLY TO
DETERMINE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS...THREATS...AND TIMING.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

IAZ044>050-057>062-070>075-251100-
ADAIR-AUDUBON-BOONE-CARROLL-CASS-CRAWFORD-DALLAS-GREENE-GUTHRIE-
JASPER-MADISON-MAHASKA-MARION-MARSHALL-POLK-POWESHIEK-STORY-TAMA-
WARREN-
701 AM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL IOWA...BETWEEN THE
HIGHWAY 30 AND HIGHWAY 34 CORRIDORS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA FROM
MID AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. WIND SHEAR AND INSTABILITY
WILL SUPPORT SOME SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS INITIALLY...WITH LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE. THE MAIN
AREA FOR THESE THREATS WILL BE LOCATIONS FROM CARROLL AND DENISON...
SOUTH TO ATLANTIC. THEN DURING THE EVENING...A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX
IS EXPECTED TO RACE EASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA...WITH THE MAIN THREAT
OF VERY STRONG DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. SOME LOCATIONS WILL
RECEIVE 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL...WITH ISOLATED 3 INCH AMOUNTS.
ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT GIVEN THE SATURATED SOIL
CONDITIONS. HEAVY RAINS WILL ALSO AGGRAVATE THE ONGOING RIVER AND
STREAM FLOODING SITUATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AT VARIOUS TIMES FROM FRIDAY INTO THE
WEEKEND. SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE...BUT IT IS TOO EARLY TO
DETERMINE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS...THREATS...AND TIMING.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-251100-
BLACK HAWK-BREMER-BUTLER-CALHOUN-CERRO GORDO-EMMET-FRANKLIN-GRUNDY-
HAMILTON-HANCOCK-HARDIN-HUMBOLDT-KOSSUTH-PALO ALTO-POCAHONTAS-SAC-
WEBSTER-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-WRIGHT-
701 AM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN IOWA...NORTH OF
HIGHWAY 30.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO NORTHWEST IOWA DURING
THE EARLY AFTERNOON...THEN MOVE EAST ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA
DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE...WITH THE THREATS BEING LARGE HAIL AND
ISOLATED DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WIND GUSTS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL
PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE HALF TO ONE INCH...WHICH COULD
AGGRAVATE THE ONGOING FLOOD SITUATION ON MANY RIVERS AND STREAMS IN
NORTHERN IOWA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AT VARIOUS TIMES FROM FRIDAY INTO THE
WEEKEND. SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE...BUT IT IS TOO EARLY TO
DETERMINE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS...THREATS...AND TIMING.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

KINNEY

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 24, 6:57 PM CDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
657 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0650 PM     TSTM WND GST     DES MOINES              41.58N 93.62W
05/24/2004  70 MPH           POLK               IA   AMATEUR RADIO

            60-70 MPH WINDS AT EAST 23RD AND GRAND.

&&

GRAMS

Local storm report, May 24, 6:59 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
659 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0631 PM     FLASH FLOOD      5 SW GRIMES             41.61N 93.86W
05/24/2004                   DALLAS             IA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            SIX INCHES TO ONE FOOT OF WATER OVER ROADS

&&

NOS

Local storm report, May 24, 7:01 PM CDT, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
701 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0656 PM     TSTM WND GST     4 N ANKENY              41.78N 93.61W
05/24/2004  60 MPH           POLK               IA   AMATEUR RADIO

            AT JUNCTION OF I-35 AND COUNTY ROAD F22.

&&

GRAMS

Local storm report, May 24, 7:04 PM CDT, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
704 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0638 PM     TSTM WND DMG     POLK CITY               41.77N 93.72W
05/24/2004                   POLK               IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SEVERE TREE DAMAGE.

&&

GRAMS

Local storm report, May 24, 7:05 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
705 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0650 PM     TSTM WND GST     1 N MARTENSDALE         41.39N 93.74W
05/24/2004  65 MPH           WARREN             IA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

GRAMS

Local storm report, May 24, 7:07 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
707 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0650 PM     FLASH FLOOD      WEST DES MOINES         41.57N 93.75W
05/24/2004                   POLK               IA   AMATEUR RADIO

            CAR STALLED AT WESTOWN AND 35TH.

&&

GRAMS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 24, 7:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Jasper	57 min
May 24, 7:06 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Mahaska	54 min
May 24, 7:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Warren	30 min
May 24, 7:16 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DMX	Jasper	18 hr
May 24, 7:23 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Decatur	67 min
May 24, 7:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Ringgold	33 min
May 24, 7:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Marion	47 min
May 24, 7:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Decatur	60 min
May 24, 7:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Jasper	52 min
May 24, 7:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Appanoose	48 min
May 24, 7:47 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DMX	Poweshiek	18 hr
May 24, 7:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Wayne	67 min
May 24, 7:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Lucas	47 min
May 24, 8:13 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DMX	Appanoose, Davis, Monroe, Wapello	18 hr
May 24, 8:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Mahaska	43 min
May 24, 8:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Appanoose, Monroe	57 min
May 24, 8:52 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Appanoose	23 min
May 24, 8:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Davis	49 min

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.