Alert archive / Iowa / Flash Flood Warnings in 2016

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Sioux Falls, SD

May 9, 2016Cherokee County, Iowa

NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued this flash flood warning at May 9, 2016, 8:51 PM CDT for Cherokee County, Iowa. It was in force for 5 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 9, 2016, 8:51 PM CDT (01:51 UTC)
Expired
May 10, 2016, 1:45 AM CDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
NWS Sioux Falls, SD
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Cherokee County, IA

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 132 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:54 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 9, 9:00 PM CDTFLASH FLOOD6 Nnw Washta, IAA 30 FOOT SECTION OF F AVENUE WASHED OUT BETWEEN 590TH AND 600TH STREETS.
May 9, 9:30 PM CDTFLASH FLOOD4 Wnw Washta, IACOUNTY ROAD 630TH WASHED OUT BETWEEN D AND E AVENUES DUE TO FLASH FLOODING.

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, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 154 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 2016-05-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 37 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 2016-05-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 51 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
37 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-85 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2626 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
202 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

488 
WGUS53 KFSD 100151
FFWFSD
IAC035-100645-
/O.NEW.KFSD.FF.W.0001.160510T0151Z-160510T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
851 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN IOWA...

* UNTIL 145 AM CDT

* AT 847 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING
  HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. UP TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN HAVE
  ALREADY FALLEN. 

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  WASHTA.

OVERALL RADAR TRENDS ARE SHOWING A DECREASE IN INTENSITY AND
COVERAGE OF INDIVIDUAL STORMS IN NORTHWEST IOWA.  HOWEVER ADDITIONAL
CELLS CONTINUE TO REFORM OVER A SECTION OF SOUTHWEST CHEROKEE
COUNTY.  DUE TO PERIODIC RAIN DEVELOPMENT...FLASH FLOODING IS A
SERIOUS CONCERN OVER RURAL ROADS, DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS OVER
THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4256 9583 4273 9582 4273 9567 4256 9567

$$

MJF
2 follow-up statements
840 
WGUS73 KFSD 100351
FFSFSD

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1051 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

IAC035-100645-
/O.CON.KFSD.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-160510T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CHEROKEE IA-
1051 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 145 AM CDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY...

AT 1046 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCING THE HEAVY RAINFALL EARLIER THIS EVENING HAD EITHER
DISSIPATED OR MOVED OUT OF THE AREA.  ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS
ARE POSSIBLE UNTIL SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT.  HOWEVER THE ADDITIONAL
RAINFALL LOOKS FAIRLY LIGHT AND SHOULD NOT ADD TO THE ALREADY
EXISTING FLOODING THREAT.  IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT A COUPLE OF
COUNTY ROADS IN SOUTHWEST CHEROKEE COUNTY WERE WASHED OUT AND HAVE
BEEN BARRICADED. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THIS FLASH FLOOD WARNING
WILL NOT HAVE TO BE EXTENDED...BUT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 145 AM TO
ALLOW FOR THE CURRENT WATER TO RECEDE.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
WASHTA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING.  DO NOT DRIVE AROUND BARRICADES.

&&

LAT...LON 4256 9583 4273 9582 4273 9567 4256 9567

$$

MJF
850 
WGUS73 KFSD 100642
FFSFSD

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
142 AM CDT TUE MAY 10 2016

IAC035-100651-
/O.EXP.KFSD.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-160510T0645Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CHEROKEE IA-
142 AM CDT TUE MAY 10 2016

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY WILL
EXPIRE AT 145 AM CDT...

THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED...HOWEVER LIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE FOR THE
NEXT HOUR. FLOODING IS NO LONGER EXPECTED TO POSE A THREAT. PLEASE
CONTINUE TO HEED ANY REMAINING ROAD CLOSURES.

LAT...LON 4256 9583 4273 9582 4273 9567 4256 9567

$$

HANKO

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 9, 9:11 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDCherokee4 days
May 10, 7:36 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDClay, Dickinson6 days
May 10, 7:36 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDClay, Dickinson3 days
May 10, 2:16 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDClay3 days
May 10, 2:16 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningFSDWoodbury36 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Iowa, 2016Every flash flood warning in 2016

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.