Alert archive / Wisconsin / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 13, NWS La Crosse, WI

August 8, 2009Allamakee County, Winneshiek County, Iowa; Crawford County, Richland County, Vernon County, Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this flash flood warning at Aug 8, 2009, 5:31 AM CDT for Allamakee County, Winneshiek County, Iowa; Crawford County, Richland County, Vernon County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 118 min. 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
Aug 8, 2009, 5:31 AM CDT (10:31 UTC)
Expired
Aug 8, 2009, 7:29 AM CDT
In force
118 min
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Allamakee County, IA, Winneshiek County, IA, Crawford County, WI, Richland County, WI, Vernon County, WI

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:31 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 8, 6:24 AM CDTFLASH FLOOD3 N Eldorado, IAWATER FLOWING ACROSS HIGHWAY 150.

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 00:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 181 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 00:00Z on 2009-08-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 121 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2009-08-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 442 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
121 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-370 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
878 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
442 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
542 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS53 KARX 081031
FFWARX
IAC005-191-WIC023-103-123-081330-
/O.NEW.KARX.FF.W.0013.090808T1031Z-090808T1330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
531 AM CDT SAT AUG 8 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  ALLAMAKEE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA
  CRAWFORD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN
  RICHLAND COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN
  SOUTHERN VERNON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN
  WINNESHIEK COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA

* UNTIL 830 AM CDT

* AT 527 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE      
  WARNED AREA. THESE SLOW MOVING STORMS HAVE RAINFALL RATES          
  APPROACHING 2 INCHES PER HOUR...AND THIS RAINFALL RATE WILL LIKELY 
  OVERWHELM CITY STORM SEWERS...AND MAY CAUSE ROCK OR MUDSLIDES IN   
  THE STEEP TERRAIN AROUND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. IN ADDITION...MORE 
  STORMS FORMING OFF TO THE WEST MAY LEAD TO A LONGER DURATION HEAVY 
  RAIN THREAT...WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOME LOCATIONS COULD SEE   
  UP TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN IN ABOUT 2 HOURS.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  DECORAH...LANSING...PRAIRIE DU CHIEN...RICHLAND CENTER...WAUKON...
  CALMAR...FORT ATKINSON...HARPERS FERRY...NEW ALBIN...OSSIAN...
  POSTVILLE...RIDGEWAY AND SPILLVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES
AS WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF IN AREAS OF STEEP TERRAIN WILL ENHANCE THE FLOOD
THREAT. PERSONS IN VALLEYS SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND OR MONITOR
WATER LEVELS CLOSELY. ROCK AND MUD-SLIDES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. AREA
ROADS MAY BE DAMAGED BY THIS FLOODING SO USE EXTREME CAUTION.

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 4317 9020 4321 9031 4321 9056 4317 9069
      4308 9083 4306 9095 4299 9107 4300 9115
      4308 9116 4309 9208 4350 9208 4350 9069
      4357 9067 4356 9019

$$

BINAU
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS73 KARX 081203
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
703 AM CDT SAT AUG 8 2009

IAC005-191-WIC023-103-123-081330-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090808T1330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WINNESHIEK IA-ALLAMAKEE IA-VERNON WI-RICHLAND WI-CRAWFORD WI-
703 AM CDT SAT AUG 8 2009

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CRAWFORD...RICHLAND...
SOUTHERN VERNON...ALLAMAKEE AND WINNESHIEK COUNTIES UNTIL 830 AM
CDT...

AT 701 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE STARTING TO SHIFT OUT OF 
THE WARNED AREA. HOWEVER...LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN AND A FEW HEAVY 
DOWNPOURS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST 8 AM. THIS WILL BRING 
ANOTHER HALF INCH OF RAIN TO PORTIONS OF THE AREA...AND MAY CAUSE 
MUDSLIDES OR FURTHER RUNOFF ISSUES.  

EARLIER THIS MORNING...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL RATES SOUTH OF CALMAR 
CAUSED WATER TO FLOW ACROSS HIGHWAY 150 IN SOUTHERN WINNESHIEK 
COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLASH FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR
OCCURRING. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND
IMMEDIATELY. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE
IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

&&

LAT...LON 4317 9020 4321 9031 4321 9056 4317 9069
      4308 9083 4306 9095 4299 9107 4300 9115
      4308 9116 4309 9208 4350 9208 4350 9069
      4357 9067 4356 9019

$$

BINAU
000 
WGUS73 KARX 081229
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
729 AM CDT SAT AUG 8 2009

IAC005-191-WIC023-103-123-081244-
/O.CAN.KARX.FF.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090808T1330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WINNESHIEK IA-ALLAMAKEE IA-VERNON WI-RICHLAND WI-CRAWFORD WI-
729 AM CDT SAT AUG 8 2009

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR CRAWFORD...
RICHLAND...SOUTHERN VERNON...ALLAMAKEE AND WINNESHIEK COUNTIES IS
CANCELLED...

WHILE LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN...AND A FEW HEAVY DOWNPOURS CONTINUES 
ACROSS THE AREA...THE THREAT FOR TORRENTIAL RAINFALL RATES AND FLASH 
FLOODING HAS ENDED. 

EXCESS RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS
AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED AREA HAVE RECEDED OR WERE BEGINNING TO
RECEDE...ENDING THE FLOOD THREAT. IF FLOODING HAS BEEN OBSERVED...
PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

IF FLOODING WAS OBSERVED PLEASE RELAY YOUR REPORT TO LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT OR TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE.

LAT...LON 4317 9020 4321 9031 4321 9056 4317 9069
      4308 9083 4306 9095 4299 9107 4300 9115
      4308 9116 4309 9208 4350 9208 4350 9069
      4357 9067 4356 9019

$$

BINAU

The office that day

Everything else NWS La Crosse, WI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 8, 12:49 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXBuffalo, Clark, Jackson, Trempealeau6 hr
Aug 8, 3:41 AM CDTFlash Flood WatchARXAdams, Buffalo, Clark, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse and 2 more23 hr
Aug 8, 4:31 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXBuffalo, La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau, Vernon2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Wisconsin, 2009Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2009Every flash flood warning in 2009

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.