Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Quad Cities, IA

May 3, 2012Rock Island County, Illinois; 5 counties in Iowa

NWS Quad Cities, IA issued this flash flood warning at May 3, 2012, 10:20 PM CDT for Rock Island County, Illinois; 5 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 6 hr. 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 3, 2012, 10:20 PM CDT (03:20 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2012, 4:15 AM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Quad Cities, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Cedar County, IA, Johnson County, IA, Louisa County, IA, Muscatine County, IA, Washington County, IA, Rock Island County, IL

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 62 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:19 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
May 3, 10:20 PM CDTFLASH FLOOD3 Ene Muscatine, IASTREET FLOODING ON MULTIPLE STREETS IN MUSCATINE. MU79.
May 3, 10:58 PM CDTFLASH FLOOD3 Ne Muscatine, IA2ND AVENUE NEAR LAKE PARK BLVD HAS ABOUT 2 FEET OF WATER ON IT ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF MUSCATINE. PONDING OF WATER EVERYWHERE. LO32.

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, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 69 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 2012-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1056 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2012-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 42 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
1056 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1420 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
42 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
100 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

669 
WGUS53 KDVN 040320
FFWDVN
IAC031-103-115-139-183-ILC161-040915-
/O.NEW.KDVN.FF.W.0002.120504T0320Z-120504T0915Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1020 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE QUAD CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CEDAR COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...WEST BRANCH...TIPTON...DURANT...
  JOHNSON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF IOWA CITY...
  MUSCATINE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF MUSCATINE...
  SOUTHWESTERN ROCK ISLAND COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...
  NORTHERN LOUISA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IOWA...
  NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IOWA...

* UNTIL 415 AM CDT

* AT 1015 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR 
  INDICATED FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WARNED
  AREA.  RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR HAVE BEEN 
  OBSERVED IN THIS AREA.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  RIVERSIDE...WILTON...WEST LIBERTY...NICHOLS...MONTPELIER...
  FAIRPORT...ATALISSA...UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS...TIFFIN...SWISHER...
  SOLON...SHUEYVILLE...OXFORD...OAKDALE...NORTH LIBERTY...LONE
  TREE...LAKE MACBRIDE STATE PARK...HILLS...CORALVILLE...ROCHESTER...
  LOWDEN AND BENNETT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS EXPECTED AS ADDITIONAL 
THUNDERSTORMS MOVE ACROSS THE AREA.

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

&&

LAT...LON 4185 9183 4186 9090 4159 9091 4159 9079
      4133 9079 4133 9107 4133 9138 4141 9137
      4141 9147 4150 9174 4151 9182

$$

LE
2 follow-up statements
185 
WGUS73 KDVN 040532
FFSDVN

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1232 AM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

IAC031-103-115-139-183-ILC161-040915-
/O.CON.KDVN.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-120504T0915Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WASHINGTON IA-MUSCATINE IA-LOUISA IA-JOHNSON IA-CEDAR IA-
ROCK ISLAND IL-
1232 AM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 415 AM CDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN ROCK ISLAND...CEDAR...JOHNSON...NORTHWESTERN LOUISA...
MUSCATINE AND NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES...

AT 1225 AM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLASH 
FLOODING OVER THE WARNED AREA DUE TO THUNDERSTORMS FROM THURSDAY 
EVENING.  MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA...
BUT HIGH WATERS REMAIN FROM THE EARLIER HEAVY RAINFALL.  SEVERAL 
ROADS IN THE MUSCATINE AREA WERE REPORTED TO BE FLOODED.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WILTON...WEST
LIBERTY...ATALISSA...TIFFIN...SWISHER...SOLON...SHUEYVILLE...OXFORD..
.OAKDALE...NORTH LIBERTY...LAKE MACBRIDE STATE PARK...IOWA CITY... 
HILLS...CORALVILLE...WEST BRANCH...TIPTON...ROCHESTER...LOWDEN... 
DURANT AND BENNETT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 AM CDT FRIDAY
MORNING FOR NORTHWESTERN ILLINOIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4185 9183 4186 9090 4159 9091 4159 9079
      4133 9079 4133 9107 4133 9138 4141 9137
      4141 9147 4150 9174 4151 9182

$$

LE
121 
WGUS73 KDVN 040922
FFSDVN

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
422 AM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

IAC031-103-115-139-183-ILC161-040931-
/O.EXP.KDVN.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-120504T0915Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WASHINGTON IA-MUSCATINE IA-LOUISA IA-JOHNSON IA-CEDAR IA-
ROCK ISLAND IL-
422 AM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR SOUTHWESTERN ROCK
ISLAND...CEDAR...JOHNSON...NORTHWESTERN LOUISA...MUSCATINE AND
NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES...

STORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA...AND 
LITTLE OR NO LINGERING FLOODING LINGERS FOR MOST OF THE AREA.  A 
SMALL PORTION OF THIS FLASH FLOOD WARNING WAS REPLACED BY AN AREAL 
FLOOD WARNING.  SEE LATER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS FOR MORE 
INFORMATION.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 AM CDT FRIDAY
MORNING FOR WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 AM CDT FRIDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHEAST IOWA
AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI.

LAT...LON 4185 9183 4186 9090 4159 9091 4159 9079
      4133 9079 4133 9107 4133 9138 4141 9137
      4141 9147 4150 9174 4151 9182

$$

LE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 9:29 PM CDTTornado WarningDVNMercer17 min
May 3, 10:44 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDVNHenry, Mercer, Rock Island6 hr
May 3, 11:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNBureau, Henry49 min
May 3, 11:59 PM CDTFlash Flood WatchDVNBureau, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, McDonough, Mercer and 3 more9 hr
May 4, 12:26 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDVNBureau, Putnam6 hr
May 4, 2:26 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDVNHancock, Henderson, McDonough, Warren49 min
May 4, 3:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNHancock, Henderson38 min
May 4, 4:04 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningDVNMercer, Rock Island9 hr
May 4, 3:31 PM CDTFlash Flood WatchDVNBureau, Carroll, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, McDonough and 5 more11 hr
May 3, 7:31 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDVNBenton29 min
May 3, 8:23 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDVNLouisa, Washington52 min
May 3, 8:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNBenton15 min
May 3, 8:27 PM CDTTornado WarningDVNHenry, Jefferson, Louisa, Washington33 min
May 3, 8:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNCedar, Johnson, Linn35 min
May 3, 8:58 PM CDTTornado WarningDVNHenry, Louisa, Muscatine, Washington32 min
May 3, 9:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNCedar, Clinton, Scott31 min
May 3, 9:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNCedar, Muscatine, Scott43 min
May 3, 9:58 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDVNKeokuk, Louisa, Washington6 hr
May 3, 10:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNClinton, Scott38 min
May 4, 12:06 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNLouisa, Muscatine24 min
May 4, 1:10 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDVNHenry, Jefferson6 hr
May 4, 2:40 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDVNLee, Van Buren6 hr
May 4, 6:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNKeokuk49 min
May 4, 6:34 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDVNKeokuk4 hr
May 4, 11:59 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningDVNDes Moines, Henry, Lee71 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2012Flash Flood Warnings in Illinois, 2012Every flash flood warning in 2012

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.