Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004
Flash Flood Warning 37, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 16, 2004, 3:48 PM CDT for Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. It was in force for 4 hr. 1 report 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, 3:48 PM CDT (20:48 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 16, 2004, 7:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Cerro Gordo County, IA
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 160 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:51 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, 4:38 PM CDT | FLASH FLOOD | Mason City, IA | FIFTEEN ROADS WERE REPORTED FLOODED. WILLOW CREEK IS OUT OF ITS BANKS AND FLOODING EAST PARK. |
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 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 195 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 421 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -146 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 530 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 22 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -10 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -70 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WGUS53 KDMX 162050 FFWDMX IAC033-170045- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 348 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... CERRO GORDO COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF MASON CITY * UNTIL 745 PM * AT 347 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS IN THE WARNING AREA. * THUNDERSTORMS ARE CONTINUOUSLY REDEVELOPING...RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. RAINFALL RATES WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR. THIS WILL PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING ALONG THE BEAVERDAM CREEK...GALLS CREEK...MASON CREEK...CHESLEA CREEK AND WILLOW CREEK. OTHER WARNING LOCATIONS INCLUDE... CLEAR LAKE...MASON CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...PLYMOUTH...ROCK FALLS... ROCKWELL...SWALEDALE...THORNTON AND VENTURA 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 4325 9304 4292 9303 4292 9349 4325 9349 $$ SMALL
5 follow-up statements
000 WGUS73 KDMX 162146 FFSDMX IAC033-170045- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 440 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR CERRO GORDO COUNTY UNTIL 745 PM... AT 440 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SERIES OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OVER CERRO GORDO COUNTY. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS ARE CONTINUOUSLY REDEVELOPING OVER THE WARNING AREA...RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. RAINFALL RATES WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. THIS WILL PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING ALONG THE BEAVERDAM CREEK...GALLS CREEK...MASON CREEK...CHELSEA CREEK AND WILLOW CREEK. AT 445 PM...MASON CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED NUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED IN MASON CITY. IN ADDITION...EAST PARK ALONG WILLOW CREEK WAS FLOODING. FLASH FLOODS OCCUR QUICKLY...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. AVOID WATER COVERED ROADS...THE ROAD MAY BE WASHED OUT. LESS THAN ONE FOOT OF FAST FLOWING WATER CAN SWEEP AN AUTOMOBILE OFF THE ROAD. LAT...LON 4293 9351 4293 9306 4325 9304 4324 9349 $$ JOHNSON
000 WGUS73 KDMX 162240 FFSDMX IAC033-170045- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 535 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR CERRO GORDO COUNTY UNTIL 745 PM... AT 530 PM...RAIN CONTINUED ACROSS CERRO GORDO COUNTY. THE RAIN SHOULD END FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST BETWEEN 540 PM AND 630 PM. ONCE IT ENDS...NO ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN IS FORECAST. FLASH FLOODING SHOULD START TO DIMINISH AS THE RAIN DECREASES AND ENDS. HOWEVER...THE FLOODING WILL REMAIN DANGEROUS UNTIL THE WATER COMPLETELY RECEDES. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF FLASH FLOODING IN THE MASON CITY AREA. 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 4293 9351 4293 9306 4325 9304 4324 9349 $$ JOHNSON
000 WGUS73 KDMX 162349 FFSDMX IAC033-170045- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 649 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR CERRO GORDO COUNTY UNTIL 745 PM... ALTHOUGH PATCHY LIGHT RAIN PERSISTED AT 640 PM...MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION HAD ENDED ACROSS CERRO GORDO COUNTY. THE MASON CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THAT MOST OF THE URBAN FLOODING HAD SUBSIDED...BUT RUNOFF FROM PREVIOUS RAINS CONTINUES INTO AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS PRODUCING HIGH WATER LEVELS. THESE HIGH WATER LEVELS SHOULD DIMINISH BY 745 PM HOWEVER. THE WARNING WILL LIKELY BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT THAT TIME. FLASH FLOODS CAN OCCUR QUICKLY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. AVOID WATER COVERED ROADS AS THE ROAD MAY BE WASHED OUT. LESS THAN ONE FOOT OF FAST FLOWING WATER CAN SWEEP AN AUTOMOBILE OFF THE ROAD. LAT...LON 4293 9351 4293 9306 4325 9304 4324 9349 $$ SMALL
000 WGUS73 KDMX 170055 FFSDMX IAC033-170050- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 753 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR CERRO GORDO COUNTY UNTIL 745 PM WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE... ALTHOUGH PATCHY LIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS CERRO GORDO COUNTY EARLY THIS EVENING...THE HEAVY RAINS HAVE ENDED AND FURTHER FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED. THE CERRO GORDO COUNTY SHERIFF HAD RECEIVED NO ADDITIONAL FLOODING AS OF 734 PM...AND LOCAL MEDIA REPORTED THE FLOODING HAD SUBSIDED OUTSIDE OF POORLY DRAINED URBAN AREAS. PRECIPITATION REPORTS FROM MEDIA AND AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGES INDICATED THAT ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN THE MASON CITY AREA...2.25 INCHES NEAR BRITT...AND AROUND 3 INCHES 3 MILES EAST OF MANLY AND ONE MILE NORTH OF HIGHWAY 9 NEAR THE SHELL ROCK RIVER. $$ SMALL
000 WGUS73 KDMX 170056 CCA FFSDMX IAC033-170110- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR CODING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 753 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004 ...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR CERRO GORDO COUNTY UNTIL 745 PM HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE... ALTHOUGH PATCHY LIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS CERRO GORDO COUNTY EARLY THIS EVENING...THE HEAVY RAINS HAVE ENDED AND FURTHER FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED. THE CERRO GORDO COUNTY SHERIFF HAD RECEIVED NO ADDITIONAL FLOODING AS OF 734 PM...AND LOCAL MEDIA REPORTED THE FLOODING HAD SUBSIDED OUTSIDE OF POORLY DRAINED URBAN AREAS. PRECIPITATION REPORTS FROM MEDIA AND AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGES INDICATED THAT ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN THE MASON CITY AREA...2.25 INCHES NEAR BRITT...AND AROUND 3 INCHES 3 MILES EAST OF MANLY AND ONE MILE NORTH OF HIGHWAY 9 NEAR THE SHELL ROCK RIVER. $$ SMALL
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 10:59 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Crawford | 31 min |
| Jun 16, 11:07 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Sac | 38 min |
| Jun 16, 12:19 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Sac | 3 hr |
| Jun 16, 12:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Sac | 47 min |
| Jun 16, 12:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun | 60 min |
| Jun 16, 1:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Calhoun | 44 min |
| Jun 16, 1:17 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Calhoun | 3 hr |
| Jun 16, 1:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Polk | 52 min |
| Jun 16, 1:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Webster | 59 min |
| Jun 16, 1:38 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Webster | 57 min |
| Jun 16, 1:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun | 41 min |
| Jun 16, 2:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Humboldt | 46 min |
| Jun 16, 2:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Webster | 40 min |
| Jun 16, 3:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Hamilton, Wright | 50 min |
| Jun 16, 3:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Franklin | 32 min |
| Jun 16, 4:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Jasper | 33 min |
| Jun 16, 5:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Decatur | 56 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.