Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 26, NWS Quad Cities, IA

June 16, 2004Delaware County, Dubuque County, Jones County, Iowa

NWS Quad Cities, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 16, 2004, 6:17 PM CDT for Delaware County, Dubuque County, Jones County, Iowa. It was in force for 9 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
Jun 16, 2004, 6:17 PM CDT (23:17 UTC)
Expired
Jun 17, 2004, 3:15 AM CDT
In force
9 hr
Issued by
NWS Quad Cities, IA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Delaware County, IA, Dubuque County, IA, Jones County, IA

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:19 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

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 94 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, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2004-06-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 846 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2004-06-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
846 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
791 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
18 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 KDVN 162322
FFWDVN
IAC055-061-105-170815-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
617 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE QUAD CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  DUBUQUE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA
  DELAWARE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA
  JONES COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA

* UNTIL 315 AM CDT

* AT 614 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  NUMEROUS HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUOUSLY            
  REDEVELOPING OVER THE WARNED AREA. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES THAT
  AS MUCH AS 1.5 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN...
  ESPECIALLY FROM DUNDEE...TO SOUTH OF COLESBURG...FROM BANKSTON
  TO HOLY CROSS AND BALLTOWN...AND FROM MORLEY AND NEAR OLIN...TO
  WEST OF CENTER JUNCTION. 

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  WORTHINGTON...STONE CITY...SHERRILL...SAGEVILLE...RICKARDSVILLE...
  PEOSTA...ONSLOW...ONEIDA...NEW VIENNA...MONTICELLO...MANCHESTER...
  LUXEMBURG...LANGWORTHY...HOPKINTON...HOLY CROSS...GREELEY...
  FARLEY...EPWORTH...EARLVILLE...DYERSVILLE...DURANGO...DELHI...
  DELAWARE...CENTRALIA...CENTER JUNCTION...CASCADE...CANTON...
  BERNARD...BANKSTON AND ASBURY.

DO NOT DRIVE ON FLOODED ROADS. MOST FATALITIES OCCUR IN VEHICLES
SWEPT AWAY IN FLOOD WATERS AS SHALLOW AS 1 FOOT.

FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS...HIGHWAYS AND STREETS...
UNDERPASSES AND LOW LYING URBAN AND RURAL AREAS IS LIKELY.

LAT...LON 4230 9086 4217 9090 4208 9135 4230 9135
          4230 9142 4263 9152 4261 9064

$$

MCCLURE
3 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS73 KDVN 170026
FFSDVN
IAC055-061-105-170815-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
725 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR DELAWARE...DUBUQUE...JONES
COUNTIES UNTIL 315 AM...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW HEAVY
RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WARNED AREA...ESPECIALLY
FROM NEAR OLIN AND WYOMING...TO CASCADE...PEOSTA...ROCKDALE...
SAGEVILLE AND BALLTOWN. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES THAT BETWEEN 2 AND 3
INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN IN THESE LOCATIONS. A STORM
SPOTTER REPORTED 3 INCHES OF RAIN IN OLIN SINCE 5:30 PM CDT...WITH
1 TO 2 FEET OF WATER COVERING HIGHWAY 38 IN OLIN. WATER WAS ALSO
COVERING HIGHWAY E45.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO WATER COVERED ROADWAYS. THE WATER MAY
BE TOO DEEP TO CROSS SAFELY OR THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT. VEHICLES
CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.

REPORT ANY HIGH WATER OR FLASH FLOODING TO YOUR NEAREST LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY...FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE
QUAD CITIES.

$$

MCCLURE
000 
WGUS73 KDVN 170552
FFSDVN
IAC055-061-105-170815-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1240 AM CDT THU JUN 17 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 315 AM CDT FOR DUBUQUE
COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA...DELAWARE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA AND
JONES COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA...

AT 1240 AM CDT...RAIN HAD ENDED IN THE WARNED AREA.  HOWEVER... 
STREAMS ARE STILL OUT OF THEIR BANKS IN MANY AREAS.  IN DUBUQUE COUNTY
ROUTE 52 NORTH IS CLOSED NEAR SAGEVILLE AND RICKARDSVILLE.  WYOMING 
AND OLIN...IN SOUTHERN JONES COUNTY...HAVE REPORTED SIGNIFICANT 
FLOODING.  FLOODING ON BEAR CREEK...IN THE WYOMING AREA...HAS CLOSED 
ROUTE X75 SOUTH OF TOWN...AND SEVERAL STREETS IN TOWN ARE ALSO 
FLOODED.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED...
QUICKLY MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO WATER COVERED ROADWAYS. THE WATER MAY
BE TOO DEEP TO CROSS SAFELY OR THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT. VEHICLES
CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.

REA
000 
WGUS73 KDVN 170853
FFSDVN
IAC055-061-105-170915-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
353 AM CDT THU JUN 17 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR 
DUBUQUE...DELAWARE...AND JONES COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST IOWA...UNTIL 
315 AM CDT FOR...HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE...

AT 350 AM CDT...RAIN HAS BEEN OUT OF THE WARNED AREA FOR A FEW 
HOURS...AND MOST CREEKS AND STREAMS WILL HAVE RECEDED.  WATER SHOULD 
ALSO HAVE DRAINED OUT OF MOST LOW LYING FLOOD PRONE AREAS.  SOME 
ROADS ACROSS THE AREA MAY STILL BE CLOSED DUE TO THE FLOODING 
WEDNESDAY EVENING.  IF ANY ROADS STILL HAVE WATER ON 
THEM...MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID DRIVING THROUGH FLOODED 
ROADWAYS.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE 
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. IF FLASH FLOODING IS 
OBSERVED...QUICKLY MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO WATER COVERED ROADWAYS. THE WATER MAY
BE TOO DEEP TO CROSS SAFELY OR THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT. VEHICLES
CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.

$$

LE

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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jun 16, 3:10 PM CDT, 3 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 16, 3:10 PM CDT, 3 hours 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
310 PM CDT WED JUNE 16 2004

.SYNOPSIS...
WARM AND MUGGY AIRMASS IN PLACE OVER THE CWA TODAY...WITH LOW
PRESSURE MOVING EAST THROUGH WESTERN IOWA.  THIS IS CAUSING INTENSE
CONVECTION OVER CENTRAL IOWA...MOVING EAST. OTHER MORE SCATTERED
STORMS ARE DEVELOPING IN EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI.  DUE
TO INSTABILITY...SOME SEVERE SEEMS POSSIBLE...BUT MAIN THREAT IS
FLOODING. FLOODING HAS ALREADY OCCURRED THIS MORNING IN BUCHANAN CO
IOWA...AND NEW CONVECTION HAS PROMPTED ANOTHER FLASH FLOOD WARNING
FOR THIS CO IN THE LAST HOUR.

.SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT AND THURSDAY)
SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY THIS EVENING...WITH HEAVY RAIN
LINGERING INTO THE EVENING. THE GREATEST THREAT IS OVER NORTHEAST
IOWA...WHERE 1 TO 2 INCHES IS LIKELY...WITH LOCALIZED HEAVIER
AMOUNTS.  LOCAL AMOUNTS WILL BE HIGH IN ISOLATED AREA OVER THE WHOLE
CWA...BUT WIDESPREAD HEAVY AMOUNTS ARE LESS LIKELY.  MORE RAIN IS
EXPECTED THURSDAY AS LOW PRESSURE LINGERS OVER THE AREA.  WILL
EXTEND THE FFA TIL NOON THURSDAY.  DEPENDING ON CONVECTIVE
TRENDS...THIS WATCH MAY NEED TO BE EXPANDED SOUTHWARD.
...ERVIN...

&&

.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
COMPLICATED FORECAST AS NONLINEAR PROCESSES WILL BE DOMINATING.
SHOULD SEE SOME LINGERING SHRA/TSRA THURSDAY EVENING AS INVERTED
TROF SLIDES THROUGH THE CWFA. ALL MODELS POINTING TO AN MCS
DEVELOPING IN THE PLAINS THURSDAY EVENING. QUESTION IS WHERE WILL IT
EVENTUALLY GO. INDICATIONS BY MODELS ARE THAT IT WILL MOVE NEARLY
EAST AND AFFECT PART OF THE CWFA IN ITS DECAYING STAGE ON FRIDAY.
AFTER THAT...MODELS HAVE DONE CONSIDERABLE FLIP FLOPPING ON WHAT
WILL HAPPEN. FOR NOW HAVE OPTED TO MAKE VERY LITTLE CHANGES TO THE
FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY TIME PERIOD. WILL LIKELY SEE PERIODS
OF DRY WEATHER WITH SUNDAY THE BEST BET.    ...08...

&&

.DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...FLOOD WATCH NORTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS TO MAQUOKETA TIL NOON THU.
IL...FLOOD WATCH NORTH OF MAQUOKETA TO MT CARROL TIL NOON THU.
MO...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 16, 5:24 AM CDT, 12 hours 53 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
524 AM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007-
009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-171100-
BENTON IA-BUCHANAN IA-BUREAU IL-CARROLL IL-CEDAR IA-CLARK MO-
CLINTON IA-DELAWARE IA-DES MOINES IA-DUBUQUE IA-HANCOCK IL-
HENDERSON IL-HENRY IA-HENRY IL-IOWA IA-JACKSON IA-JEFFERSON IA-
JO DAVIESS IL-JOHNSON IA-JONES IA-KEOKUK IA-LEE IA-LINN IA-LOUISA IA-
MCDONOUGH IL-MERCER IL-MUSCATINE IA-PUTNAM IL-ROCK ISLAND IL-
SCOTLAND MO-SCOTT IA-STEPHENSON IL-VAN BUREN IA-WARREN IL-
WASHINGTON IA-WHITESIDE IL-
524 AM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA...
EAST CENTRAL IOWA...SOUTHEAST IOWA...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...NORTH
CENTRAL ILLINOIS...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE OUTLOOK
AREA NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM FREEPORT THROUGH THE QUAD CITIES...
MOUNT PLEASANT...TO MEMPHIS MISSOURI. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE ACROSS EASTERN IOWA NORTH OF HIGHWAY 30 UNTIL MID MORNING.
THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WITH
RAIN AMOUNTS AS HIGH ONE INCH IN LESS THAN AN HOUR.

LATER THIS AFTERNOON...THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE OUTLOOK
AREA. THERE WILL BE A SMALL THREAT OF DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL
WITH STORMS...ESPECIALLY OVER EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. A
BRIEF WEAK TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE. ALL THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS THE
ENTIRE AREA.

TONIGHT...WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER
THE AREA. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE HEAVY RAIN WITH LOCAL RAINFALL
AMOUNTS AS HIGH AS 2 TO 3 INCHES. THIS MAY LEAD TO MINOR FLASH
FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THURSDAY.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE.
ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING.

DLS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 16, 12:19 PM CDT, 5 hours 58 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1219 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

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

0602 AM     FLASH FLOOD      4 E FAIRBANK            42.64N 91.97W
06/16/2004                   BUCHANAN           IA   PUBLIC

            HIGHWAY 281 CLOSED NEAR INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD W13.

0545 AM     FLASH FLOOD      1 N HAZLETON            42.63N 91.91W
06/16/2004                   BUCHANAN           IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

            HIGHWAY 281 CLOSED JUST WEST OF HIGHWAY 150 INTERSECTION.
            WATER OVER ROAD FOR 30 MINUTES.

&&

BLACK
Local storm report, Jun 16, 2:20 PM CDT, 3 hours 57 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
220 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

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

0205 PM     HAIL             INDEPENDENCE            42.47N 91.89W
06/16/2004  0.25 INCH        BUCHANAN           IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

14
Local storm report, Jun 16, 3:37 PM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
337 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

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

0330 PM     HAIL             HANOVER                 42.25N 90.28W
06/16/2004  0.25 INCH        JO DAVIESS         IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

0320 PM     FLASH FLOOD      3 SW AURORA             42.62N 91.73W
06/16/2004                   BUCHANAN           IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

            ON THE EAST BRANCH OF BUFFALO CREEK AT 130TH STREET...A
            ROAD WAS WASHED OUT AND WATER WAS OVER THE ROAD.

&&

14
Local storm report, Jun 16, 3:59 PM CDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
359 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

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

0320 PM     LIGHTNING        INDEPENDENCE            42.47N 91.89W
06/16/2004                   BUCHANAN           IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TIME ESTIMATED. LIGHTNING STRUCK RESIDENCE AT 414 7TH AVE
            NW BLOWING OUT A TRANSFORMER.

0315 PM     HAIL             CALAMUS                 41.83N 90.76W
06/16/2004  0.50 INCH        CLINTON            IA   PUBLIC

            RELAYED BY MEDIA.

&&

14
Local storm report, Jun 16, 4:34 PM CDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
434 PM CDT WED JUN 16 2004

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

0330 PM     FLASH FLOOD      3 W STOCKTON            42.35N 90.06W
06/16/2004                   JO DAVIESS         IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            HIGHWAY 20 WASHED OUT. WATER OVER MANY ROADS ON EASTERN
            SIDE OF COUNTY.

&&

BLACK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Quad Cities, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 16, 5:58 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDVNBuchanan4 hr
Jun 16, 2:17 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDVNBuchanan9 hr
Jun 16, 3:29 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDVNClinton9 hr

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.