Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 12, NWS Sioux Falls, SD

May 27, 2012Lyon County, Plymouth County, Sioux County, Iowa; Clay County, Lincoln County, Union County, South Dakota

NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued this flash flood warning at May 27, 2012, 7:22 PM CDT for Lyon County, Plymouth County, Sioux County, Iowa; Clay County, Lincoln County, Union County, South Dakota. It was in force for 7 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 27, 2012, 7:22 PM CDT (00:22 UTC)
Expired
May 28, 2012, 2:13 AM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Sioux Falls, SD
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Lyon County, IA, Plymouth County, IA, Sioux County, IA, Clay County, SD, Lincoln County, SD, Union County, SD

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:26 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 27, 8:02 PM CDTFLASH FLOODRock Valley, IAWATTER RUNNING RAPIDLY DOWN THE ROAD.
May 27, 8:30 PM CDTFLASH FLOODRock Valley, IAWATER OVER ROAD MAKING MAINSTREET IMPASSIBLE AND HIGHWAY 18 IS DOWN TO ONE LANE

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 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 202 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 00:00Z on 2012-05-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 849 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 00:00Z on 2012-05-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 81 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
849 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-92 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2094 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
81 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

107 
WGUS53 KFSD 280022
FFWFSD
IAC119-149-167-SDC027-083-127-280630-
/O.NEW.KFSD.FF.W.0012.120528T0022Z-120528T0630Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
722 PM CDT SUN MAY 27 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN CLAY COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
  NORTHERN UNION COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
  NORTHWESTERN PLYMOUTH COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA
  SOUTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
  SOUTHWESTERN LYON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA
  WESTERN SIOUX COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA

* UNTIL 130 AM CDT MONDAY

* AT 716 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED  
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. 
  RAIN FALL OF ONE TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES FELL EARLIER THIS 
  EVENING AND AN ADDITIONAL ONE TO TWO INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. 
  THIS WARNING INCLUDES NEWTON HILLS STATE PARK.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  BERESFORD...CANTON...HAWARDEN...AKRON...ALCESTER...ALVORD...DOON...
  FAIRVIEW...HUDSON...INWOOD...NEWTON HILLS STATE PARK AND ROCK
  VALLEY.

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.

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE
YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME
KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS. CAMPERS AND HIKERS SHOULD AVOID STREAMS OR
CREEKS.

&&

LAT...LON 4339 9616 4270 9648 4282 9702 4335 9665

$$
2 follow-up statements
286 
WGUS53 KFSD 280325
FFWFSD
IAC119-149-167-SDC027-083-127-280730-
/O.EXT.KFSD.FF.W.0012.000000T0000Z-120528T0730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1025 PM CDT SUN MAY 27 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS HAS EXTENDED THE

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN CLAY COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
  NORTHERN UNION COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
  NORTHWESTERN PLYMOUTH COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA
  SOUTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA
  SOUTHWESTERN LYON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA
  WESTERN SIOUX COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA

* UNTIL 230 AM CDT

* AT 1016 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR 
INDICATED   THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED 
AREA. RADAR INDICATES ONE TO THREE INCHES OF RAINFALL HAS FALLEN 
OVER THE WARNED AREA.  THIS COMBINED WITH TWO TO FOUR INCHES OF 
RAINFALL EARLY THIS WEEK WILL CREATE FLOODING ACROSS THE AREA. AN 
ADDITIONAL HALF AN INCH TO INCH OF RAINFALL IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE 
AREA. 

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  BERESFORD...CANTON...HAWARDEN...AKRON...ALCESTER...ALVORD...DOON...
  FAIRVIEW...HUDSON...INWOOD...NEWTON HILLS STATE PARK AND ROCK
  VALLEY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. DO
NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO
ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN
WATER BEGINS RISING.

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE
YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME
KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS. CAMPERS AND HIKERS SHOULD AVOID STREAMS OR
CREEKS.

&&

LAT...LON 4339 9616 4270 9648 4282 9702 4335 9665

$$


BT
523 
WGUS73 KFSD 280713
FFSFSD

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
213 AM CDT MON MAY 28 2012

IAC119-149-167-SDC027-083-127-280728-
/O.CAN.KFSD.FF.W.0012.000000T0000Z-120528T0730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SIOUX IA-PLYMOUTH IA-LYON IA-LINCOLN SD-CLAY SD-UNION SD-
213 AM CDT MON MAY 28 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN UNION...
EASTERN CLAY...SOUTHEASTERN LINCOLN...SOUTHWESTERN LYON...
NORTHWESTERN PLYMOUTH AND WESTERN SIOUX COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

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 WAS OBSERVED PLEASE RELAY YOUR REPORT TO LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT OR TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS.

LAT...LON 4339 9616 4270 9648 4282 9702 4335 9665

$$

CHENARD

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 27, 7:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDPlymouth, Sioux34 min
May 27, 7:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDLyon, Plymouth, Sioux29 min
May 27, 7:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDLyon, O'Brien, Osceola, Sioux36 min
May 27, 8:19 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFSDLyon, Osceola7 hr
May 27, 8:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDDickinson36 min
May 27, 9:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDPlymouth27 min
May 27, 9:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDPlymouth, Woodbury10 min
May 28, 5:35 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDLyon52 hr
May 28, 5:35 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDClay71 hr
May 28, 5:35 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDClay8 days
May 28, 5:35 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDBuena Vista, Clay9 days
May 27, 9:32 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFSDClay, Union4 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2012Flash Flood Warnings in South Dakota, 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.