Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2013

Flash Flood Warning 21, NWS La Crosse, WI

June 22, 2013Allamakee County, Winneshiek County, Iowa

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this flash flood warning at Jun 22, 2013, 6:33 PM CDT for Allamakee County, Winneshiek County, Iowa. It was in force for 6 hr. 1 report 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 22, 2013, 6:33 PM CDT (23:33 UTC)
Expired: Jun 23, 2013, 12:30 AM CDT
In force: 6 hr
Issued by: NWS La Crosse, WI
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Allamakee County, IA, Winneshiek County, IA

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:32 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
Jun 23, 12:02 AM CDT	HEAVY RAIN 2.49	2 E Decorah, IA

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 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 208 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: 3143 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -23 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 510 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 231 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 244 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 3.6
Supercell composite: 22.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

441 
WGUS53 KARX 222333
FFWARX
IAC005-191-230530-
/O.NEW.KARX.FF.W.0021.130622T2333Z-130623T0530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
633 PM CDT SAT JUN 22 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN ALLAMAKEE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA...
  WINNESHIEK COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA...

* UNTIL 1230 AM CDT

* AT 632 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE      
  WARNED AREA. BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES HAS FALLEN ON VERY SATURATED   
  SOILS...AND ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT FEW    
  HOURS. 

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  DECORAH...WAUKON...CALMAR...FORT ATKINSON...OSSIAN...RIDGEWAY AND
  SPILLVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

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 4309 9208 4350 9208 4350 9122 4326 9131
      4308 9161

$$

ZT

3 follow-up statements

363 
WGUS73 KARX 230025
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
725 PM CDT SAT JUN 22 2013

IAC005-191-230530-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0021.000000T0000Z-130623T0530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ALLAMAKEE IA-WINNESHIEK IA-
725 PM CDT SAT JUN 22 2013

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WINNESHIEK AND WESTERN
ALLAMAKEE COUNTIES UNTIL 1230 AM CDT...

AT 720 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT FLASH 
FLOODING WAS OCCURRING OVER THE SOUTHERN PART OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY 
FROM RIDGEWAY OVER THE CASTAILIA. WATER OVER ROADS IS THE PRIMARY 
PROBLEM BUT NO SPECIFICS ON WHICH ROADS WERE AFFECTED WAS AVAILABLE 
AT THIS TIME.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE NORTHERN 
SECTIONS OF ALLAMAKEE COUNTY. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS CAN BE EXPECTED 
THROUGH 830 PM WHICH WILL AGGRAVATE ONGOING FLOODING PROBLEMS AND 
COULD CREATE SOME NEW FLASH FLOODING.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...DECORAH...
WAUKON...CALMAR...FORT ATKINSON...NEW ALBIN...OSSIAN...RIDGEWAY AND
SPILLVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS
AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...NORMALLY DRY WASHES... AS WELL AS
FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

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 4309 9208 4350 9208 4350 9122 4326 9131
      4308 9161

$$

04

757 
WGUS73 KARX 230202
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
902 PM CDT SAT JUN 22 2013

IAC005-191-230530-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0021.000000T0000Z-130623T0530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ALLAMAKEE IA-WINNESHIEK IA-
902 PM CDT SAT JUN 22 2013

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WINNESHIEK AND WESTERN 
ALLAMAKEE COUNTIES UNTIL 1230 AM...

AS OF 9 PM...THE HEAVIEST RAIN FROM THUNDERSTORMS HAS SHIFTED NORTH 
OF THE WARNED AREA BUT ESTIMATES SHOW ABOUT 2 INCHES MAY HAVE FALLEN 
EARLIER. THIS WOULD HAVE RUNOFF QUICKLY AND MAY STILL BE LEADING TO 
RISING WATER LEVELS.

IN ADDITION...NEW STORMS ARE MOVING IN FROM THE WEST SO THE THREAT 
FOR ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN MAY CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT. STAY ON 
HIGHER GROUND AND MOVE AWAY FROM SWOLLEN RIVERS AND STREAMS.

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. THIS DANGER MAY BE HARDER TO SPOT UNDER DARKNESS.

&&

LAT...LON 4309 9208 4350 9208 4350 9122 4326 9131
      4308 9161

$$


SHEA

234 
WGUS73 KARX 230448
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1148 PM CDT SAT JUN 22 2013

IAC005-191-230530-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0021.000000T0000Z-130623T0530Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ALLAMAKEE IA-WINNESHIEK IA-
1148 PM CDT SAT JUN 22 2013

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WINNESHIEK AND WESTERN
ALLAMAKEE COUNTIES UNTIL 1230 AM CDT...

DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES RAINFALL OF 2 TO 3 INCHES HAS FALLEN FROM 
THE DECORAH AREA OVER TO WAUKON IOWA...ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 9. 
AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES HAS FALLEN EITHER SIDE OF THAT BUT HEAVY 
RAIN THAT JUST LET UP IS LIKELY PRODUCING IMMEDIATE FLASH FLOODING.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE DECORAH...
WAUKON...CALMAR...FORT ATKINSON...NEW ALBIN...OSSIAN...RIDGEWAY
AND SPILLVILLE.

THE DECORAH POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY FLOOD RELATED 
PROBLEMS AROUND WINNESHIEK COUNTY AS OF 1140 PM.

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 CAN BE MORE DIFFICULT TO DETECT AT NIGHT AS WELL.

&&

LAT...LON 4309 9208 4350 9208 4350 9122 4326 9131
      4308 9161

$$


SHEA

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 22, 12:33 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ARX	Winneshiek	6 hr
Jun 22, 1:36 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ARX	Allamakee	6 hr
Jun 22, 1:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Mitchell	53 min
Jun 22, 4:16 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	ARX	Allamakee	4 days
Jun 22, 4:31 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Allamakee	44 min
Jun 22, 6:39 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ARX	Clayton	4 hr
Jun 22, 7:35 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ARX	Allamakee	3 hr
Jun 22, 9:17 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	ARX	Clayton	27 hr
Jun 22, 9:17 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	ARX	Clayton	36 hr
Jun 22, 10:28 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	ARX	Allamakee, Clayton	21 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2013 Every flash flood warning in 2013

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.