Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 15, 2015Polk County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 15, 2015, 3:18 AM CDT for Polk County, Iowa. It was in force for 6 hr. 20 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
Jun 15, 2015, 3:18 AM CDT (08:18 UTC)
Expired
Jun 15, 2015, 9:15 AM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Polk County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 17 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:18 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
Jun 15, 4:50 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 3.073 E Ankeny, IA3.07 INCHES OF RAINFALL TOTAL SINCE MIDNIGHT OR ROUGHLY 5 HOURS. REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.
Jun 15, 4:52 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 2.294 W Altoona, IA2.29 INCHES OVER LAST 24 HOURS...CO-OP OBSERVER STATION FOUR MILE CRK /ATNI4/
Jun 15, 4:59 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 2.161 Wnw Ankeny, IA2.16 INCHES OVER LAST 24 HRS...MESONET STATION 1 WNW ANKENY /SAKI4/
Jun 15, 5:04 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 2.62 Sse Ankeny, IA2.6 INCHES OVER THE LAST 6 HRS...CO-OP OBSERVER STATION FOUR MILE CREEK ALERT STATION /FMBI4/
Jun 15, 5:04 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 3.112 Se Ankeny, IA3.11 INCHES OVER LAST 24 HRS...CO-OP OBSERVER STATION FOUR MILE CREEK ALERT STATION /FMBI4/
Jun 15, 5:04 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 3.112 Sse Ankeny, IA3.11 INCHES OVER LAST 24 HRS...CO-OP OBSERVER STATION FOUR MILE CREEK ALERT STATION /FMBI4/
Jun 15, 5:05 AM CDTFLASH FLOOD1 Se Ankeny, IAINTERSECTION CLOSED DUE TO WATER 6-8 INCHES DEEP.
Jun 15, 5:26 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 2.063 W Ankeny, IA2.06 INCHES OVER LAST 6 HRS...MESONET STATION 2 W ANKENY /D3886/
Jun 15, 5:26 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 2.343 W Ankeny, IA2.34 INCHES OVER LAST 24 HOURS...MESONET STATION 2 W ANKENY /D3886/
Jun 15, 5:30 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 3.363 E Ankeny, IA3.36 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE MIDNIGHT IN EAST ANKENY.
Jun 15, 5:51 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 3.312 Se Ankeny, IA3.31 INCHES IN LAST 24 HRS...CO-OP OBSERVER STATION FOUR MILE CREEK ALERT STATION /FMBI4/
Jun 15, 5:51 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 3.312 Sse Ankeny, IA3.31 INCHES IN LAST 24 HRS...CO-OP OBSERVER STATION FOUR MILE CREEK ALERT STATION /FMBI4/
Jun 15, 6:00 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 3.141 Nw Saylorville, IA3.14 INCHES OF RAIN OVER LAST 24 HRS...COCORAHS STATION SAYLORVILLE /IA-PK-2/
Jun 15, 6:11 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 2.123 W Ankeny, IA2.12 INCHES OF RAIN IN LAST 12 HOURS...MESONET STATION 2 W ANKENY /D3886/
Jun 15, 6:56 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 2.523 W Ankeny, IA2.52 INCHES OVER LAST 24 HRS...MESONET STATION 2 W ANKENY /D3886/
Jun 15, 6:59 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 2.41 Wnw Ankeny, IA2.40 INCHES OVER LAST 24 HRS...MESONET STATION 1 WNW ANKENY /SAKI4/
Jun 15, 7:00 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 3.12 Wnw Ankeny, IA3.10 INCHES OF RAIN IN NW ANKENY OVER LAST 24 HRS.
Jun 15, 7:00 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 3.261 Nnw Bondurant, IA3.26 INCHES IN LAST 24 HRS...CO-OP OBSERVER STATION BONDURANT /BONI4/
Jun 15, 7:00 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 3.871 E Saylorville, IA3.87 INCHES OVER LAST 24 HRS...CO-OP OBSERVER STATION 3 S ANKENY /AKYI4/
Jun 15, 7:19 AM CDTFLASH FLOOD2 E Saylorville, IAWATER FLOWING OVER ROAD ALONG NE 70TH NEAR CARNEY MARSH NATURE PRESERVE IN ANKENY. ROAD IS BEING BARRICADED TO TRAFFIC.

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, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 242 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 2015-06-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 454 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, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 2015-06-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 4 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
454 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-25 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1275 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
4 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
52 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.

084 
WGUS53 KDMX 150818
FFWDMX
IAC153-151415-
/O.NEW.KDMX.FF.W.0003.150615T0818Z-150615T1415Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
318 AM CDT MON JUN 15 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES  HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN POLK COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 915 AM CDT MONDAY

* AT 314 AM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED FLASH FLOODING 
  ACROSS THE WARNED AREA...WITH AT LEAST A HALF DOZEN INTERSECTIONS 
  THROUGHOUT THE TOWN OF ANKENY INUNDATED WITH WATER CAUSING STALLED 
  VEHICLES AND THE INTERSECTIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. UP TO TWO INCHES OF 
  RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN AND ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE 
  THROUGH 6 AM. FLASH FLOODING IS ALREADY OCCURRING.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE... 
  ANKENY...NORTHERN ALTOONA...BONDURANT...SAYLORVILLE... 
  ELKHART...MARGO FRANKEL WOODS STATE PARK...WEH-WEH-NEH-KEE STATE 
  PARK AND ANKENY REGIONAL AIRPORT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND NOW. ACT QUICKLY TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE.

TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD
DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

&&

LAT...LON 4166 9354 4166 9366 4180 9366 4180 9335
      4169 9335

$$

PODRAZIK
3 follow-up statements
112 
WGUS73 KDMX 151023
FFSDMX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
523 AM CDT MON JUN 15 2015

IAC153-151415-
/O.CON.KDMX.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-150615T1415Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
POLK IA-
523 AM CDT MON JUN 15 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 AM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN POLK COUNTY...

AT 515 AM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED FLASH FLOODING IN 
ANKENY AS 6 TO 8 INCHES OF WATER HAS INUNDATED THE INTERSECTION OF 
CORTINA AND SHURFINE. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS UP TO THREE INCHES OF 
RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN SINCE MIDNIGHT IN SOUTHEAST ANKENY. FLASH 
FLOODING IS ALREADY OCCURRING AND LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH MORNING.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE... 
ANKENY...NORTHERN ALTOONA...BONDURANT...SAYLORVILLE...ELKHART 
...MARGO FRANKEL WOODS STATE PARK...WEH-WEH-NEH-KEE STATE PARK AND 
ANKENY REGIONAL AIRPORT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND NOW. ACT QUICKLY TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE.

TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD
DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

&&

LAT...LON 4166 9354 4166 9366 4180 9366 4180 9335
      4169 9335

$$

PODRAZIK
917 
WGUS73 KDMX 151231
FFSDMX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
731 AM CDT MON JUN 15 2015

IAC153-151415-
/O.CON.KDMX.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-150615T1415Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
POLK IA-
731 AM CDT MON JUN 15 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 AM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN POLK COUNTY...

AT 723 AM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED FLASH FLOODING 
CONTINUES ACROSS PORTIONS OF ANKENY AS THERE IS WATER OVER NORTHEAST 
70TH BETWEEN HIGHWAY 69 AND SOUTHEAST DELAWARE NEAR THE CARNEY MARSH 
NATURE PRESERVE.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE... 
ANKENY...NORTHERN ALTOONA...BONDURANT...SAYLORVILLE... ELKHART... 
MARGO FRANKEL WOODS STATE PARK...WEH-WEH-NEH-KEE STATE PARK AND 
ANKENY REGIONAL AIRPORT.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 1 INCH OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN 
THE WARNED AREA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD
DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

&&

LAT...LON 4166 9354 4166 9366 4180 9366 4180 9335
      4169 9335

$$

PODRAZIK
330 
WGUS73 KDMX 151416
FFSDMX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
916 AM CDT MON JUN 15 2015

IAC153-151424-
/O.EXP.KDMX.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-150615T1415Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
POLK IA-
916 AM CDT MON JUN 15 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN POLK COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 915 AM CDT...

FLOOD WATERS HAVE RECEDED WITH MANY OF THE INTERSECTIONS THAT 
PREVIOUSLY HAD WATER IN THEM HAVING CLEARED...AND ARE NO LONGER 
EXPECTED TO POSE A THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY. PLEASE CONTINUE TO 
HEED ANY ROAD CLOSURES.

LAT...LON 4166 9354 4166 9366 4180 9366 4180 9335
      4169 9335

$$

BEERENDS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 15, 4:17 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningDMXPolk55 hr
Jun 15, 5:25 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningDMXDallas, Polk40 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2015Every flash flood warning in 2015

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.