Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 27, NWS Sioux Falls, SD

July 14, 2011Jackson County, Nobles County, Minnesota; 5 counties in Iowa

NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued this flash flood warning at Jul 14, 2011, 7:41 AM CDT for Jackson County, Nobles County, Minnesota; 5 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 3 hr. 5 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
Jul 14, 2011, 7:41 AM CDT (12:41 UTC)
Expired
Jul 14, 2011, 10:30 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Sioux Falls, SD
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Buena Vista County, IA, Clay County, IA, Dickinson County, IA, O'Brien County, IA, Osceola County, IA, Jackson County, MN, Nobles County, MN

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 128 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:42 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
Jul 14, 7:51 AM CDTFLASH FLOODSpirit Lake, IASTREET FLOODING AVERAGING 6 INCHES DEEP IN PARTS OF TOWN
Jul 14, 8:06 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 05 Ne Melvin, IA2.70 INCHES OF RAIN IN ABOUT 3 HOURS. SOME PONDING IN FIELDS.
Jul 14, 8:21 AM CDTFLASH FLOODLake Park, IASEVERAL STREETS FLOODED IN LAKE PARK
Jul 14, 9:05 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 0Harris, IA4 INCHES OF RAIN THIS MORNING
Jul 14, 9:05 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 4Harris, IA4 INCHES OF RAIN THIS MORNING

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

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 217 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 2011-07-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 784 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 2011-07-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 147 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
784 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-179 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
547 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
147 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
199 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.

444 
WGUS53 KFSD 141241
FFWFSD
IAC021-041-059-141-143-MNC063-105-141530-
/O.NEW.KFSD.FF.W.0027.110714T1241Z-110714T1530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
741 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CLAY COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA
  DICKINSON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA
  EASTERN O'BRIEN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA
  EASTERN OSCEOLA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA
  NORTHERN BUENA VISTA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA
  SOUTHEASTERN NOBLES COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA
  SOUTHERN JACKSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA

* UNTIL 1030 AM CDT

* AT 733 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. 
  AREAS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE 
  STORMS. DICKINSON COUNTY IOWA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS SOME
  STREET FLOODING ALREADY OCCURRING IN SPIRIT LAKE.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO   
  OCCUR...MAINLY STREET FLOODING IN URBAN AREAS. SOME LOCATIONS THAT 
  COULD EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...JACKSON...SPENCER...SPIRIT 
  LAKE...WORTHINGTON...ARNOLDS PARK...MILFORD...OCHEYEDAN...AND 
  OKOBOJI.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4282 9494 4283 9538 4291 9539 4291 9541
      4309 9546 4324 9559 4366 9565 4367 9489

$$

GILLISPIE
2 follow-up statements
540 
WGUS73 KFSD 141341
FFSFSD

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
841 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011

IAC021-041-059-141-143-MNC063-105-141530-
/O.CON.KFSD.FF.W.0027.000000T0000Z-110714T1530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
OSCEOLA IA-O'BRIEN IA-DICKINSON IA-BUENA VISTA IA-CLAY IA-JACKSON MN-
NOBLES MN-
841 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN NOBLES...
SOUTHERN JACKSON...CLAY...NORTHERN BUENA VISTA...DICKINSON...EASTERN
O'BRIEN AND EASTERN OSCEOLA COUNTIES UNTIL 1030 AM CDT...

AT 837 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. 
DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATED THAT 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE 
600 AM...AND AN ADDITIONAL INCH OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE THROUGH 1000 AM.

SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE
WARNED AREA. RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH 
FLOODING TO OCCUR. STREET FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN SPIRIT LAKE 
AND LAKE PARK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS 
AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY ROADS 
AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW LYING
AREAS ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4282 9494 4283 9538 4291 9539 4291 9541
      4309 9546 4324 9559 4366 9565 4367 9489

$$

GILLISPIE
873 
WGUS73 KFSD 141524
FFSFSD

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1024 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011

IAC021-041-059-141-143-MNC063-105-141540-
/O.EXP.KFSD.FF.W.0027.000000T0000Z-110714T1530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
OSCEOLA IA-O'BRIEN IA-DICKINSON IA-BUENA VISTA IA-CLAY IA-JACKSON MN-
NOBLES MN-
1024 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN
NOBLES...SOUTHERN JACKSON...CLAY...NORTHERN BUENA VISTA...
DICKINSON...EASTERN O'BRIEN AND EASTERN OSCEOLA COUNTIES WILL BE
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 1030 AM CDT...

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.

LAT...LON 4282 9494 4283 9538 4291 9539 4291 9541
      4309 9546 4324 9559 4366 9565 4367 9489

$$

GILLISPIE

The office that day

Everything else NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 14, 5:35 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFSDPipestone, Rock115 min
Jul 14, 8:16 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDJackson8 days
Jul 14, 9:28 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDRock5 days
Jul 14, 9:42 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDPipestone12 hr
Jul 14, 8:16 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDLyon4 hr
Jul 14, 8:16 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDLyon4 days
Jul 14, 8:16 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDClay6 days
Jul 14, 11:06 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDCherokee11 days
Jul 14, 3:31 PM CDTExcessive Heat WatchFSDBuena Vista, Cherokee, Ida, Plymouth, Woodbury12 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2011Flash Flood Warnings in Minnesota, 2011Every flash flood warning 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.