Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2011
Tornado Warning 34, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at May 11, 2011, 4:50 PM CDT for Adams County, Union County, Iowa. It was in force for 40 min. 2 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
- May 11, 2011, 4:50 PM CDT (21:50 UTC)
- Expired
- May 11, 2011, 5:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 40 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Adams County, IA, Union County, IA
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 110 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 4:59 PM CDT | TORNADO | 2 Wnw Kent, IA | TORNADO WAS ABOUT 5-6 MILES WEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF H45 AND P27. INTERSECTION IS SOUTH OF CRESTON. |
| May 11, 5:08 PM CDT | FUNNEL CLOUD | 2 Nnw Kent, IA | SPOTTER REPORTS TWO FUNNELS TRYING TO COME DOWN. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2:53 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 160 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 909 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -95 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1123 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 24 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 55 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 177 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 3.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
564
WFUS53 KDMX 112150
TORDMX
IAC003-175-112230-
/O.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0034.110511T2150Z-110511T2230Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
450 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2011
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
SOUTHEASTERN ADAMS COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA...
SOUTHWESTERN UNION COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...
* UNTIL 530 PM CDT
* AT 447 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LENOX...OR 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CRESTON...
AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
KENT AND CROMWELL.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IMMEDIATELY SEEK SHELTER IN A BASEMENT...
OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM OF A REINFORCED BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.
IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE...IN A MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...SEEK
SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...FIND THE
LOWEST SPOT AVAILABLE AND COVER YOUR HEAD.
&&
LAT...LON 4091 9462 4109 9453 4100 9432 4090 9449
4090 9458
TIME...MOT...LOC 2151Z 214DEG 11KT 4091 9453
$$
COGIL3 follow-up statements
971
WWUS53 KDMX 112202
SVSDMX
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
502 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2011
IAC003-175-112230-
/O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0034.000000T0000Z-110511T2230Z/
UNION IA-ADAMS IA-
502 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2011
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN ADAMS AND
SOUTHWESTERN UNION COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM CDT...
AT 456 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LENOX...OR 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CRESTON...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
AT 450 PM CDT SPOTTERS REPORTED TORNADO DAMAGE IN LENOX.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
KENT AND CROMWELL.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IMMEDIATELY SEEK SHELTER IN A BASEMENT...
OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM OF A REINFORCED BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.
IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE...IN A MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...SEEK
SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...FIND THE
LOWEST SPOT AVAILABLE AND COVER YOUR HEAD.
&&
LAT...LON 4091 9462 4109 9453 4100 9432 4090 9449
4090 9458
TIME...MOT...LOC 2201Z 212DEG 13KT 4095 9450
$$
COGIL886 WWUS53 KDMX 112208 SVSDMX SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 508 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2011 IAC003-175-112230- /O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0034.000000T0000Z-110511T2230Z/ UNION IA-ADAMS IA- 508 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2011 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN ADAMS AND SOUTHWESTERN UNION COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM CDT... AT 505 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF LENOX...OR 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CRESTON...MOVING NORTH AT 10 MPH. SEVERAL REPORTS OF TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... KENT AND CROMWELL. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IMMEDIATELY SEEK SHELTER IN A BASEMENT... OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM OF A REINFORCED BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE...IN A MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...FIND THE LOWEST SPOT AVAILABLE AND COVER YOUR HEAD. && LAT...LON 4095 9460 4109 9453 4100 9432 4090 9449 TIME...MOT...LOC 2208Z 202DEG 10KT 4096 9451 $$ COGIL
994 WWUS53 KDMX 112233 SVSDMX SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 533 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2011 IAC003-175-112243- /O.EXP.KDMX.TO.W.0034.000000T0000Z-110511T2230Z/ UNION IA-ADAMS IA- 533 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2011 ...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN ADAMS AND WEST CENTRAL UNION COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED... THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DIMINISHED...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS EXPIRED. HOWEVER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. LAT...LON 4095 9460 4109 9453 4100 9432 4090 9449 TIME...MOT...LOC 2208Z 202DEG 10KT 4096 9451 $$ COGIL
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 12:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adams, Cass | 47 min |
| May 11, 2:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adams, Taylor | 55 min |
| May 11, 2:22 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Adams | 23 min |
| May 11, 2:43 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Adams, Taylor | 6 hr |
| May 11, 2:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adams, Taylor | 39 min |
| May 11, 4:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adams, Taylor | 44 min |
| May 11, 4:11 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Adams, Taylor | 49 min |
| May 11, 4:42 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Adams, Taylor | 6 hr |
| May 11, 4:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adams, Taylor | 38 min |
| May 11, 5:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adams, Ringgold, Taylor, Union | 43 min |
| May 11, 5:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Union | 33 min |
| May 11, 5:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Clarke, Decatur, Lucas, Madison, Ringgold, Warren | 46 min |
| May 11, 6:03 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Union | 6 hr |
| May 11, 6:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adair, Clarke, Madison, Union | 54 min |
| May 11, 6:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Dallas, Madison, Polk, Warren | 53 min |
| May 11, 6:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Clarke, Decatur, Lucas, Warren | 48 min |
| May 11, 6:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Wayne | 44 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes in 2011
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.