Alert archive / Illinois / Flash Flood Warnings in 2008

Flash Flood Warning 40, NWS Quad Cities, IA

June 12, 2008Stephenson County, Illinois

NWS Quad Cities, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 12, 2008, 10:52 PM CDT for Stephenson County, Illinois. It was in force for 6 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 12, 2008, 10:52 PM CDT (03:52 UTC)
Expired: Jun 13, 2008, 4:45 AM CDT
In force: 6 hr
Issued by: NWS Quad Cities, IA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

County Stephenson County, IL

The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 108 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:52 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 00:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 113 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: 3526 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -23 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 947 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 192 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 304 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 5.4
Supercell composite: 26.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS53 KDVN 130355
FFWDVN
ILC177-130945-
/O.NEW.KDVN.FF.W.0040.080613T0352Z-080613T0945Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1052 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE QUAD CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  STEPHENSON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF FREEPORT...

* UNTIL 445 AM CDT

* AT 1049 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED  
  THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE WARNED AREA. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS  
  EXTENDED ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHWEST ILLINOIS MOVING 
  NORTHEAST TOWARDS THE WARNED AREA.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ROCK
  CITY...RIDOTT...DAVIS...DAKOTA AND CEDARVILLE

RAINFALL OF SEVERAL INCHES IN A SHORT TIME IS EXPECTED.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING...ESPECIALLY WHILE DRIVING.

LAT...LON 4249 8940 4222 8941 4223 8990 4251 8992
      4251 8978
TIME...MOT...LOC 0352Z 304DEG 0KT 4223 8974 4244 8974

$$

HAASE

1 follow-up statement

000 
WGUS73 KDVN 130944
FFSDVN

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
442 AM CDT FRI JUN 13 2008

ILC177-130952-
/O.EXP.KDVN.FF.W.0040.000000T0000Z-080613T0945Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
STEPHENSON IL-
442 AM CDT FRI JUN 13 2008

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 445 AM CDT FOR STEPHENSON
COUNTY...

AT 440 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THAT THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT HAD SHIFTED EAST OF THE PREVIOUSLY WARNED 
AREA...THUS THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR STEPHENSON COUNTY WILL BE 
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.


LAT...LON 4249 8940 4222 8941 4223 8990 4251 8992
      4251 8978
TIME...MOT...LOC 0942Z 180DEG 0KT 4223 8974 4244 8974

$$

12

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 12, 3:15 PM CDT, 7 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 12, 3:15 PM CDT, 7 hours 37 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
315 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

.DISCUSSION...
ONGOING RECORD BREAKING FLOODING EVENT WILL TRY AND MAKE THIS
CONCISE. WE ARE IN THE MIDST FOR MUCH IF NOT MOST OF THE FORECAST
AREA TO EXPERIENCE A FLOODING EVENT THAT WILL LIKELY SURPASS THE
INFAMOUS FLOOD OF 1993 OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS WITH WIDESPREAD
SEVERE IMPACTS.

TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY...NOWCAST TOOLS SUPPORT SUITE OF SOLUTIONS FOR SE
2/3 TO 3/4 AREA TO EXPERIENCE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3
INCHES WITH TROPICAL CONDITIONS AND PW/S OF NEAR 2 INCHES SUGGESTING
LOCALIZED 4 TO 5 INCH RAIN AMOUNTS POSSIBLE ON TOP OF THE RECORD
BREAKING FLOODING OCCURRING ON THE CEDAR AND IOWA RIVERS THAT ARE 3
TO 6+ FEET ABOVE 100 TO 150 RECORD CRESTS. THIS EQUATES TO ROUGHLY
500 PLUS YEAR RIVER FLOODING. THE WAPSIPINICON RIVER TO EXPERIENCE
NEAR RECORD TO RECORD FLOODING WITH LOCATIONS BETWEEN ANAMOSA AND
DEWITT APPROACHING 100 YEAR FLOODING.  THE LOWER HALF OR MORE OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER ALSO TO REACH NEAR RECORD TO RECORD FLOODING ALONG
AND SOUTH OF THE QUAD CITIES. UPPED POPS TO CATEGORICAL WITH SOME
SEVERE RISK THIS EVENING..MAINLY FOR DAMAGING WINDS OF 70 MPH AS
BOWING SEGMENTS TO EVOLVE EARLY TO MID PM WITH SOME HP SUPERCELLS AND
ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE INITIALLY FROM 3 PM UNTIL ROUGHLY 8 PM.
RAINFALL RATES OF 2 TO 3 INCHES AN HOUR WILL MAKE FOR SERIOUS FLASH
FLOODING RISK WHICH HAS BEEN ALREADY OCCURRING SINCE LAST NIGHT WITH
ALL THE AREA IN FLASH FLOOD WATCHES TONIGHT AND SE 2/3 LASTING INTO
FRIDAY MORNING. FRIDAY AFTERNOON...RAIN TO END SE 1/3 WITH LIGHT
ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS THERE WITH SOME PARTIAL CLEARING LATE PM NW 1/2.
HIGH TEMPERATURES WITH LOTS OF CLOUDS TO STAY IN THE MID/UPPER 70S.

FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY NIGHT...QUIET AND SEASONAL WITH HIGHS
UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S AND LOWS IN UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S.  SOME
ISOLATED SHRA TO TSRA MAY OCCUR ALONG HIGHWAY 20 LATE PM WITH WEAK
SURFACE CONVERGENCE AND CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES REACHED INTO THE
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS.

SUNDAY...YESTERDAY/S CONCERN IS UNFORTUNATELY VERIFYING. ALL 12Z
SOLUTIONS POINTING TOWARD ANOTHER MODERATE TO HEAVY CONVECTIVE RAIN
EVENT IN FAST NW UPPER LEVEL FLOW WITH LOCAL TOOLS USING HIGH
MOISTURE AND FORCING LEVELS FOR THIS TYPE REGIME SUGGESTING AREAS OF
1 TO 3 PLUS INCHES THAT WOULD HAVE TREMENDOUS IMPACTS IF FALLS ON
EAST CENTRAL IOWA. THESE LOCATIONS AND TIMING WILL BE BETTER
CLARIFIED NEXT 24 HOURS AND ADDITIONAL IMPACTS ON OUR RECORD
FLOODING. UPPED POPS TO MODERATE TO HIGH CHANCE WITH ONLY MODERATE
AMOUNTS OF RAIN ATTM.

MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...SEASONALLY STRONG CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE
TO KEEP REST OF PERIOD COOL AND DRY (OR AT LEAST SOME DRYING OF
OUR WET CONDITIONS).  HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S WITH LOWS IN
LOWER TO MIDDLE 50S.  SOME POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT RAIN
EVENT LATE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY..HAVE LEFT THURSDAY DRY ATTM UNTIL
TIMING OF THIS NEXT EVENT HAS GREATER CONFIDENCE.  ..NICHOLS..

&&

.AVIATION...
VERY ACTIVE PERIOD THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS A COLD FRONT
SLOWLY MOVES THROUGH THE AREA.  MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS.  WITHIN THUNDERSTORMS CIGS CAN DROP INTO
THE MVFR CATEGORY...AND VISIBILITIES TO IFR IN HEAVY RAIN.  STORMS
HAVE BEEN REGENERATING SINCE 18Z...AND SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH MID
EVENING. THERE WILL BE NEW DEVELOPMENT AFTER 09Z FRIDAY MORNING TO
AFFECT MAINLY KMLI AND KBRL AS A FRESH WAVE MOVES NORTH INTO THE
AREA.    ..LE..

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
RECORD...HISTORICAL RIVER FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING ONGOING WITH
CATASTROPHIC IMPACTS WITH LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS UNFOLDING NEXT
72 TO 96+ HOURS.  ADJUSTING MANY RIVER LEVELS AS ADDITIONAL RAINS AND
RUNOFF ADD TO RAPIDLY RISING RIVER LEVELS.  AGAIN...THIS FLOODING
EVENT IS GREATER THAN THE FLOOD OF 1993 FOR MUCH IF NOT MOST OF THE
FORECAST AREA. SEE HYDROLOGIC PRODUCTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
..NICHOLS..

&&

.DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT FOR
     BENTON-BUCHANAN-CEDAR-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-
     IOWA-JACKSON-JOHNSON-JONES-LINN.

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR
     CLINTON-DES MOINES-HENRY IA-JEFFERSON-KEOKUK-LEE-LOUISA-
     MUSCATINE-SCOTT-VAN BUREN-WASHINGTON.

IL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT FOR JO DAVIESS.

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR CARROLL-
     MERCER-ROCK ISLAND-STEPHENSON-WHITESIDE.

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR HENRY-
     BUREAU-PUTNAM-HENDERSON-WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH.

MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR CLARK-SCOTLAND.

&&

NICHOLS/LE

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 12, 4:59 AM CDT, 17 hours 53 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
459 AM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007-
009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-131000-
BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON-
CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON-
HENRY IA-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL-
WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON-
WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK-
459 AM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER AND FLASH FLOOD EVENT IS
EXPECTED TODAY INTO TONIGHT ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. THE MORE
SUNSHINE AND INSTABILITY THAT OCCURS THE GREATER THE SEVERE RISK.
THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS GREATER THAN
70 MPH...BUT A COUPLE OF TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE.
IN ADDITION ...HEAVY RAINS OF AT LEAST 1 TO 3 INCHES IN A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME WILL CAUSE SERIOUS FLASH FLOODING. THIS AMOUNT OF
RAIN MAY EITHER AGGRAVATE OR WORSEN RIVER FLOODING THAT IS ALREADY
AT RECORD LEVELS AT SOME LOCATIONS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF A FEW THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
MAINLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
WITH MODERATE TO RECORD FLOODING ON MANY EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHWEST
ILLINOIS TRIBUTARY RIVERS. DETAILED INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND IN THE
LATEST FLOOD STATEMENT PRODUCT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.

HAASE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 12, 9:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
942 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

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

0937 PM     HAIL             BERTRAM                 41.95N 91.54W
06/12/2008  E0.88 INCH       LINN               IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

            OCCURRING RIGHT NOW.

&&

15

Local storm report, Jun 12, 9:52 PM CDT, 1 hour before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
952 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

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

0945 PM     HAIL             SPRINGVILLE             42.06N 91.44W
06/12/2008  E2.00 INCH       LINN               IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

            STILL HAILING AS OF 948 PM.

&&

15

Local storm report, Jun 12, 10:21 PM CDT, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1021 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

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

0901 PM     FLASH FLOOD      2 WNW IOWA CITY         41.67N 91.56W
06/12/2008                   JOHNSON            IA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LEVEE FAILURE. THE CRANDIC RAILROAD EMBANKMENT ALONG THE
            IOWA RIVER IN CORALVILLE HAS FAILED. FLASH FLOODING IS
            OCCURRING IN SECTIONS OF CORALVILLE ALONG 1ST AVENUE AND
            U.S. HIGHWAY 6.

&&

JAZ

Local storm report, Jun 12, 10:23 PM CDT, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1023 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

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

0916 PM     FLASH FLOOD      1 SW ANAMOSA            42.10N 91.29W
06/12/2008                   JONES              IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

            LEVEE FAILURE. A LEVEE HAS FAILED ALONG THE WAPSIPINICON
            RIVER...ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF ANAMOSA...BELOW THE
            COUNTY RD E-34 BRIDGE. LOCATIONS NORTH OF THE
            WAPSIPINICON RIVER...IN ANAMOSA...ARE EXPERIENCING FLASH
            FLOODING.

&&

JAZ

Local storm report, Jun 12, 10:39 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1039 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

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

1030 PM     FLASH FLOOD      DAVENPORT               41.56N 90.60W
06/12/2008                   SCOTT              IA   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORT OF WATER 5 FEET DEEP AT THE INTERSECTION OF
            KIMBERLY AND DIVISION IN DAVENPORT. WATER WAS CURB DEEP
            AT 5TH AND DIVISION IN DAVENPORT.

&&

JH2

Local storm report, Jun 12, 10:44 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1044 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

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

1025 PM     HEAVY RAIN       LADORA                  41.76N 92.19W
06/12/2008  M5.80 INCH       IOWA               IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SINCE 330 AM

0958 PM     HAIL             2 W ANAMOSA             42.11N 91.32W
06/12/2008  E0.88 INCH       JONES              IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

1032 PM     HEAVY RAIN       DAVENPORT               41.56N 90.60W
06/12/2008  M2.50 INCH       SCOTT              IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            RAINFALL SINCE 7 AM. STORM WATER IS OVER THE CURBS AT 5TH
            AND DIVISION.

&&

15

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 12, 7:03 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DVN	Carroll, Whiteside	6 hr
Jun 12, 7:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Henderson, Mercer	33 min
Jun 12, 7:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Henry, Mercer, Rock Island	47 min
Jun 12, 7:16 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DVN	Mercer, Rock Island	6 hr
Jun 12, 7:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Henry, Rock Island	23 min
Jun 12, 7:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Henry, Mercer, Rock Island	30 min
Jun 12, 7:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Henry, Rock Island, Whiteside	30 min
Jun 12, 8:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Mercer, Rock Island	41 min
Jun 12, 8:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Henry, Rock Island, Whiteside	36 min
Jun 12, 9:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Mercer, Rock Island	24 min
Jun 12, 9:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Mercer, Rock Island	31 min
Jun 12, 9:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Rock Island, Whiteside	41 min
Jun 12, 10:21 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DVN	Jo Daviess	6 hr
Jun 12, 10:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Carroll, Henry, Rock Island, Whiteside	45 min
Jun 12, 11:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Bureau, Henry, Whiteside	69 min
Jun 13, 1:26 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	DVN	Mercer, Rock Island	6 hr
Jun 13, 10:27 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	DVN	Jo Daviess	6 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Illinois, 2008 Every flash flood warning in 2008

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.