Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 6, NWS La Crosse, WI

June 17, 2009Floyd County, Iowa

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this tornado warning at Jun 17, 2009, 7:28 PM CDT for Floyd County, Iowa. It was in force for 47 min. 3 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: Jun 17, 2009, 7:28 PM CDT (00:28 UTC)
Expired: Jun 17, 2009, 8:15 PM CDT
In force: 47 min
Issued by: NWS La Crosse, WI
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Floyd County, IA

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 142 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:28 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
Jun 17, 8:08 PM CDT	HAIL 1	4 W Bassett, IA
Jun 17, 8:11 PM CDT	TORNADO	4 Nw Nashua, IA
Jun 17, 8:25 PM CDT	TORNADO	4 Nw Nashua, IA

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

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jun 17, 7:01 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 205 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: 1471 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -35 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 751 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 219 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 350 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.8
Supercell composite: 12.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KARX 180028
TORARX
IAC067-180115-
/O.NEW.KARX.TO.W.0006.090618T0028Z-090618T0115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
728 PM CDT WED JUN 17 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN FLOYD COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 815 PM CDT

* AT 726 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH A DEVELOPING TORNADO 5 MILES WEST OF FLOYD
  CROSSING...OR 9 MILES WEST OF CHARLES CITY...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  IDLEWILDE STATE PARK AROUND 740 PM...
  FLOYD AND FLOYD CROSSING AROUND 745 PM...
  HOWARDVILLE AROUND 750 PM...
  CHARLES CITY AROUND 800 PM...
  COLWELL COUNTY PARK AROUND 805 PM...
  COLWELL AND BUNNS WOODS COUNTY PARK AROUND 815 PM...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER IN A BASEMENT OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS

CARS AND MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR A STURDY BUILDING. AS A
LAST RESORT...LAY FLAT IN A DITCH AND COVER YOUR HEAD.

&&

LAT...LON 4321 9256 4294 9256 4308 9288 4321 9282
TIME...MOT...LOC 0028Z 270DEG 13KT 4310 9283

$$

BINAU

3 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS53 KARX 180036
SVSARX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
736 PM CDT WED JUN 17 2009

IAC067-180115-
/O.CON.KARX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-090618T0115Z/
FLOYD IA-
736 PM CDT WED JUN 17 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN FLOYD COUNTY...

SPOTTERS AND MEDIA REPORTS INDICATE ROTATION WITH THIS STORM AND THE 
POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE A TORNADO AT A MOMENTS NOTICE. 

AT 736 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR FLOYD CROSSING...OR
6 MILES WEST OF CHARLES CITY...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  FLOYD AND FLOYD CROSSING AROUND 745 PM...
  HOWARDVILLE AROUND 755 PM...
  CHARLES CITY AROUND 800 PM...
  COLWELL COUNTY PARK AROUND 805 PM...
  COLWELL AND BUNNS WOODS COUNTY PARK AROUND 815 PM...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

CARS AND MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR A STURDY BUILDING. AS A
LAST RESORT...LAY FLAT IN A DITCH AND COVER YOUR HEAD.

PLEASE REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE
AND TELL THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

&&

LAT...LON 4321 9256 4294 9256 4308 9285 4317 9284
      4321 9282
TIME...MOT...LOC 0036Z 270DEG 13KT 4310 9279

$$

BINAU

000 
WWUS53 KARX 180048
SVSARX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
748 PM CDT WED JUN 17 2009

IAC067-180115-
/O.CON.KARX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-090618T0115Z/
FLOYD IA-
748 PM CDT WED JUN 17 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN FLOYD COUNTY...

AT 747 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED STRONG ROTATION 
AND FUNNEL CLOUDS WEST OF CHARLES CITY. THIS STRONG ROTATION WAS 
LOCATED NEAR FLOYD CROSSING...OR NEAR CHARLES CITY...MOVING EAST AT 
15 MPH. NOW IS THE TIME TO SEEK SHELTER IN CASE A TORNADO RAPIDLY 
DEVELOPS.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  CHARLES CITY AROUND 800 PM...
  COLWELL COUNTY PARK AROUND 805 PM...
  COLWELL AND BUNNS WOODS COUNTY PARK AROUND 815 PM...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

CARS AND MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR A STURDY BUILDING. AS A
LAST RESORT...LAY FLAT IN A DITCH AND COVER YOUR HEAD.

PLEASE REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE
AND TELL THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

&&

LAT...LON 4309 9278 4315 9279 4319 9278 4321 9256
      4294 9256
TIME...MOT...LOC 0048Z 270DEG 13KT 4310 9273

$$

BINAU

000 
WWUS53 KARX 180102
SVSARX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
802 PM CDT WED JUN 17 2009

IAC067-180115-
/O.CON.KARX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-090618T0115Z/
FLOYD IA-
802 PM CDT WED JUN 17 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN FLOYD COUNTY...

AT 800 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED STRONG ROTATION 
NEAR THE TOWN OF CHARLES CITY. A TORNADO IS POSSIBLE AT ANY TIME 
THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CHARLES CITY...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  COLWELL COUNTY PARK AROUND 805 PM...
  CARRVILLE AND BUNNS WOODS COUNTY PARK AROUND 815 PM...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

CARS AND MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR A STURDY BUILDING. AS A
LAST RESORT...LAY FLAT IN A DITCH AND COVER YOUR HEAD.

&&

LAT...LON 4309 9274 4313 9275 4318 9278 4319 9278
      4321 9256 4294 9256
TIME...MOT...LOC 0101Z 279DEG 12KT 4308 9268

$$

BINAU

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 17, 7:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Howard, Mitchell	65 min
Jun 17, 8:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Chickasaw, Floyd	50 min
Jun 17, 8:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Howard, Winneshiek	46 min
Jun 17, 8:52 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Howard, Mitchell	53 min
Jun 17, 8:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Chickasaw	46 min
Jun 17, 9:29 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ARX	Chickasaw	3 hr
Jun 17, 9:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Howard	45 min
Jun 17, 9:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Chickasaw, Fayette	25 min
Jun 17, 10:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Chickasaw, Howard, Winneshiek	56 min
Jun 17, 11:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Chickasaw, Fayette, Winneshiek	57 min
Jun 18, 12:12 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Fayette	34 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2009 Every tornado warning in 2009 Tornadoes 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.