Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2013
Flash Flood Warning 9, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at May 17, 2013, 4:55 PM CDT for Palo Alto County, Iowa. It was in force for 4 hr. 3 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 17, 2013, 4:55 PM CDT (21:55 UTC)
- Expired
- May 17, 2013, 9:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Flood severity
- None
County Palo Alto County, IA
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 174 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:56 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 17, 5:48 PM CDT | FLASH FLOOD | Emmetsburg, IA | SEVERAL INCHES OF WATER FLOWING OVER THE ROAD IN EMMETSBURG AT LAWLER AND MAIN. |
| May 17, 6:15 PM CDT | HEAVY RAIN 1.25 | Emmetsburg, IA | |
| May 17, 6:24 PM CDT | HEAVY RAIN 5 | 2 N Emmetsburg, IA | VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN ONE HOUR REPORTED TO KICD |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 204 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 512 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 27 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -20 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 183 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
265 WGUS53 KDMX 172155 FFWDMX IAC147-180200- /O.NEW.KDMX.FF.W.0009.130517T2155Z-130518T0200Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 455 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... NORTHEASTERN PALO ALTO COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA... * UNTIL 900 PM CDT * AT 455 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. * RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE... EMMETSBURG. 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. TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN. && LAT...LON 4325 9445 4303 9444 4303 9479 4325 9479 $$
3 follow-up statements
017 WGUS73 KDMX 172251 FFSDMX FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 551 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013 IAC147-180200- /O.CON.KDMX.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-130518T0200Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ PALO ALTO IA- 551 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013 ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN PALO ALTO COUNTY UNTIL 900 PM CDT... AT 550 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING INCLUDE... EMMETSBURG. FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN THE TOWN OF EMMETSBURG WITH THE INTERSECTION OF LAWLER AND MAIN UNDER FLOWING WATER. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS... AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR AND THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN. && LAT...LON 4325 9445 4303 9444 4303 9479 4325 9479 $$
875 WGUS73 KDMX 180000 FFSDMX FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 700 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013 IAC147-180200- /O.CON.KDMX.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-130518T0200Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ PALO ALTO IA- 700 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013 ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN PALO ALTO COUNTY UNTIL 900 PM CDT... AT 658 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. DOPPLER RAINFALL ESTIMATES INDICATED THAT AROUND 5 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN AROUND THE EMMETSBURG AREA. RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING INCLUDE... EMMETSBURG. FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE EMMETSBURG AREA. SPOTTER REPORTS CONFIRM AROUND 5 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN NORTH OF EMMETSBURG. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... LITTLE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED AS MOST OF THE STORMS HAVE MOVED TO THE SOUTH. 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. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR AND THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN. && LAT...LON 4325 9445 4303 9444 4303 9479 4325 9479 $$
068 WGUS73 KDMX 180111 FFSDMX FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 811 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013 IAC147-180125- /O.CAN.KDMX.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-130518T0200Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ PALO ALTO IA- 811 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013 ...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN PALO ALTO COUNTY IS CANCELLED... EXCESS RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED AREA HAVE RECEDED OR WERE BEGINNING TO RECEDE...ENDING THE FLOOD THREAT. PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF STANDING WATER OR WASHOUTS...ESPECIALLY ON COUNTY ROADS. IF FLOODING HAS BEEN OBSERVED...PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. LAT...LON 4325 9445 4303 9444 4303 9479 4325 9479 $$
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 7:05 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Carroll, Crawford | 6 hr |
| May 17, 3:40 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Hancock, Kossuth, Winnebago | 6 hr |
| May 17, 5:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Palo Alto | 46 min |
| May 17, 6:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Palo Alto, Pocahontas | 51 min |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2013Every 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.