Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2007

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS La Crosse, WI

October 7, 2007Clayton County, Iowa

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this flash flood warning at Oct 7, 2007, 6:16 PM CDT for Clayton County, Iowa. It was in force for 4 hr. 6 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: Oct 7, 2007, 6:16 PM CDT (23:16 UTC)
Expired: Oct 7, 2007, 10:15 PM CDT
In force: 4 hr
Issued by: NWS La Crosse, WI
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

County Clayton County, IA

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 125 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Oct 7, 6:25 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	2 E Edgewood, IA	WATER ON THE ROADWAY...HIGHWAY 3 AT HIGHWAY C7X /HILTON RD/. C7X BETWEEN GARBER AND EDGEWOOD HAS WATER OVER IT AS WELL.
Oct 7, 6:57 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	2 E Edgewood, IA	WATER OVER HIGHWAY 3 AT HIGHWAY C7X /HILTON ROAD/. ROAD CLOSED.
Oct 7, 6:57 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	4 S Garber, IA	ELK CREEK COMING OUT OF ITS BANKS...WITH FLOODING ON IOWA AVENUE.
Oct 7, 7:26 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	3 Se Littleport, IA	WATER OVER THE ROAD NEAR INTERSECTION OF HARVEST ROAD AND HIGHWAY C5X /GLACIER ROAD/. THIS IS FROM BEAR CREEK. BEAR CREEK ALSO REPORTED TO BE OUT OF ITS BANKS WITH EXTENSIVE LOWLAND FLOODING.
Oct 7, 7:40 PM CDT	HEAVY RAIN 5.21	Edgewood, IA	SINCE 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON.
Oct 7, 7:45 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	2 N Edgewood, IA	BEAR CREEK IS FLOODING OVER FAUCET ROAD.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 138 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: 240 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -153 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1057 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -35 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 KARX 072317
FFWARX
IAC043-080315-
/O.NEW.KARX.FF.W.0002.071007T2316Z-071008T0315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
616 PM CDT SUN OCT 7 2007

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 1015 PM CDT

* AT 616 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED   
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS SOUTHERN CLAYTON 
COUNTY. ESTIMATES FROM RADAR INDICATED THAT BETWEEN 2 AND 3 INCHES 
OF RAIN HAS FALLEN DURING THE PAST 2 HOURS.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...STRAWBERRY 
POINT...EDGEWOOD...WOOD...BIXBY STATE PARK...LITTLEPORT... 
GARBER...AND UPDEGRAFF.  SOME CREEKS AND RIVERS IMPACTED INCLUDE... 
SPRING CREEK...FENCHEL CREEK...LINDSEY CREEK...BEAR CREEK...
RABBIT CREEK...ELK CREEK...WOLF CREEK...STEELES BRANCH...AND THE 
VOLGA RIVER.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. 
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF CREEKS AND 
STREAMS...ROADS AND ROADSIDE CULVERTS. THE HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO 
TRIGGER ROCK AND MUD-SLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN. PERSONS IN THE WARNED 
AREA SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACT QUICKLY TO AVOID THESE HAZARDS.

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.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE
INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER
CAN CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES INCLUDING SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND
PICKUPS. REMEMBER...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN.

LAT...LON 4264 9118 4264 9161 4273 9155 4280 9134
      4275 9113

$$

MW

3 follow-up statements

000 
WGUS73 KARX 080009
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
708 PM CDT SUN OCT 7 2007

IAC043-080315-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-071008T0315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CLAYTON IA-
708 PM CDT SUN OCT 7 2007

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1015 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHERN CLAYTON COUNTY...

AT 657 PM CDT...THE CLAYTON COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS WATER 
OVER THE ROADWAY AT HIGHWAY 3 AND HIGHWAY C 7 X...2 MILES EAST OF 
EDGEWOOD. WATER WAS ALSO OVER C 7 X BETWEEN GARBER AND EDGEWOOD.
SEVERAL CREEKS ARE REPORTED TO BE AT BANKFULL...OR STARTING TO SPILL 
OUT OF THEIR BANKS...INCLUDING ELK CREEK AND WAYMAN CREEK. BEAR 
CREEK AND ITS SMALLER TRIBUTARY CREEKS ARE ALSO BEING MONITORED.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO STRAWBERRY 
POINT...EDGEWOOD...WOOD...BIXBY STATE PARK...LITTLEPORT...GARBER... 
AND UPDEGRAFF.  SOME CREEKS AND RIVERS IMPACTED INCLUDE...SPRING 
CREEK...FENCHEL CREEK...LINDSEY CREEK...BEAR CREEK...RABBIT 
CREEK...ELK CREEK...WOLF CREEK...STEELES BRANCH...AND THE VOLGA 
RIVER. 

AT 708 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW 
SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA...BUT THE LATEST TRENDS SHOW 
THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL NOW MOVING EAST TOWARD GUTTENBERG AND THE 
MISSISSIPPI RIVER. HOWEVER...LIGHTER RAINS LOOK TO CONTINUE THROUGH 
AT LEAST 8 PM. 

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. 
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. 
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF CREEKS AND 
STREAMS...ROADS AND ROADSIDE CULVERTS. THE HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO 
TRIGGER ROCK AND MUD-SLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN. PERSONS IN THE WARNED 
AREA SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACT QUICKLY TO AVOID THESE HAZARDS.

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.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE
INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER
CAN CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES INCLUDING SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND
PICKUPS. REMEMBER...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN.

LAT...LON 4264 9118 4264 9161 4273 9155 4280 9134
      4275 9113
TIME...MOT...LOC 0001Z 180DEG 0KT 4271 9136

$$

MW

000 
WGUS73 KARX 080115
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
815 PM CDT SUN OCT 7 2007

IAC043-080315-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-071008T0315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CLAYTON IA-
815 PM CDT SUN OCT 7 2007

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1015 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHERN CLAYTON COUNTY...

AT 805 PM CDT...REPORTS FROM THE AREA CONTINUE TO INDICATE 
SIGNIFICANT FLOODING OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF CLAYTON COUNTY. 
REPORTS FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AND WEATHER OBSERVERS INDICATE SEVERAL 
ROADS ARE UNDER WATER...DUE TO FLOODING ALONG BEAR CREEK...ELK 
CREEK...AND THEIR SMALLER TRIBUTARY CREEKS. THE COOPERATIVE WEATHER 
OBSERVER AT EDGEWOOD REPORTED 5.21 INCHES OF RAINFALL. 

ROAD CLOSURES INCLUDE...HIGHWAY 3...LITTLEPORT ROAD...IOWA AVENUE...
HILTON ROAD...GLACIER ROAD...AND FAUCET ROAD. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO STRAWBERRY 
POINT...EDGEWOOD...WOOD...BIXBY STATE PARK...LITTLEPORT...GARBER... 
AND UPDEGRAFF.  SOME CREEKS AND RIVERS IMPACTED INCLUDE...SPRING 
CREEK...FENCHEL CREEK...LINDSEY CREEK...BEAR CREEK...RABBIT 
CREEK...ELK CREEK...WOLF CREEK...STEELES BRANCH...AND THE VOLGA 
RIVER. 

AT 805 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THE 
HEAVY RAIN AREA HAD WEAKENED...WITH LIGHT SHOWERS CONTINUING. 
HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO THE 
AREA FROM THE SOUTHWEST.  AN ADDITIONAL QUARTER TO HALF-INCH OF 
RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE BEFORE MIDNIGHT. THIS WILL HAVE TO BE 
MONITORED...AS ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL COULD ONLY ADD TO THE CURRENT 
FLOODING PROBLEMS. 

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. 
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. 
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF CREEKS AND 
STREAMS...ROADS AND ROADSIDE CULVERTS. THE HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO 
TRIGGER ROCK AND MUD-SLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN. PERSONS IN THE WARNED 
AREA SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACT QUICKLY TO AVOID THESE HAZARDS.

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.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE
INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER
CAN CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES INCLUDING SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND
PICKUPS. REMEMBER...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN.
LAT...LON 4264 9118 4264 9161 4273 9155 4280 9134
      4275 9113
TIME...MOT...LOC 0109Z 180DEG 0KT 4271 9136

$$

MW

000 
WGUS73 KARX 080300
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1000 PM CDT SUN OCT 7 2007

IAC043-080315-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-071008T0315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CLAYTON IA-
1000 PM CDT SUN OCT 7 2007

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1015 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHERN CLAYTON COUNTY...

AT 945 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT WATER 
LEVELS WERE BEGINNING TO RECEDE ON SOME OF THE SMALLER CREEKS. ALL 
BLACKTOP ROADS AND ALL MAIN HIGHWAYS ARE NOW OPEN...BUT SOME SMALLER 
GRAVEL ROADS REMAIN CLOSED DUE TO WATER AND DAMAGE.  THE WATER WAS 
NOW MOVING INTO THE LARGER RIVERS...INCLUDING THE VOLGA RIVER AND 
THE LOWER TURKEY RIVER. FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN THE GARBER 
AREA...WITH WATER AND DEBRIS PONDING BEHIND SOME BRIDGES. 

AT 10 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF 
LIGHT SHOWERS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA...WITH ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND 
THUNDERSTORMS FURTHER TO THE SOUTH. THESE LIGHTER SHOWERS ARE NOT 
EXPECTED TO RESULT IN ANY NEW FLOODING. HOWEVER...WITH FLOODING 
STILL ONGOING IN THE LARGER RIVERS...AND WITH MORE RAIN MOVING 
IN...THIS FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE REPLACED WITH A FLOOD 
WARNING...AND WILL BE EXTENDED THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT. 

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE 
DANGERS OF FLOODS. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT 
DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. TWO 
FEET OF RUSHING WATER CAN CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES INCLUDING SPORT 
UTILITY VEHICLES AND PICKUPS. OBEY ALL ROAD CLOSURE SIGNS 
REMEMBER...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN.


LAT...LON 4264 9118 4264 9161 4273 9155 4280 9134
      4275 9113
TIME...MOT...LOC 0255Z 180DEG 0KT 4271 9136

$$

MW

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2007 Every flash flood warning in 2007

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.