Heat in Iowa, August 5, 2001

Name: Heat in Iowa, August 5, 2001
Start: 2001-08-05T10:00
End: 2001-08-05T21:00
Location: Iowa

August 5, 2001 · NWS DMX · 51 events in 51 counties and zones

Very warm and humid conditions that began in the last part of July continued into August. Temperatures during the day warmed into the 90s, with overnight lows remaining in the 70s.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 51 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 51

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.

Very warm and humid conditions that began in the last part of July continued into August. Temperatures during the day warmed into the 90s, with overnight lows remaining in the 70s. Dew point temperatures held in the mid 70s to low 80s through most of the time. An elderly woman passed away in Des Moines on the 5th. She was found in her home with the windows closed and temperatures in the house in excess of 100 degrees F. She had succomed to the heat.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 5, 1:45 AM CST, 8 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 5, 1:45 AM CST, 8 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
245 AM CDT SUN AUG 5 2001

MAIN CONCERN WILL BE HEAT AND HUMIDITY TDA.

WITH AN INCREASE IN DEWPOINTS AND WARM AIR OVER THE STATE WILL LEAVE
HEAT ADVSRY GOING. ALL MODELS AGREE THAT UPPER RIDGE WILL BE GOING
NOWHERE.  ONLY PROBLEM COMES WITH ADVANCING BOUNDARY BY SUNDAY NIGHT
AND INTO THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK.  MODELS KICING OUT PCPN AS
EARLY AS LATE TNGT THO DOUBT THIS WITH LOOK AT OTHER DYNAMIC
FIELDS.  THEN AVN OUT ALONE WITH PCPN MON NGT ACRS NRN IA AGAIN HAVE
TO WONDER WITH GENERAL LACK OF FOCUSING ELEMENTS AND OTHER MODELS
NEVER JOIN IN WITH AVN.  GUID TEMPS WOULD FAVR HIER FWCS.  LOOK AT
WAA TDA AND SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR DRIVEN ARND ON WATER VAPOR WILL HELP
PUSH UP TEMPS AND WITH NO CLDS AGN HIER FWCS FAVORED.

.DSM...HEAT ADVISORY ALL ZONES ON SUNDAY.
IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-09
2-97-0600.0-

FORSTER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 5, 4:55 AM CST, 5 hours 5 minutes before

CENTRAL IOWA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
555 AM CDT SUN AUG 5 2001

LARGE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA WITH LITTLE CHANCE FOR RAIN.

SEE SITE SPECIFIC DETAILS BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-
092>097-052300-
ADAIR-ADAMS-APPANOOSE-AUDUBON-BLACK
HAWK-BOONE-BREMER-BUTLER-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CASS-CERRO
GORDO-CLARKE-CRAWFORD-DALLAS-DAVIS-DECATUR-EMMET-FRANKLIN-GREENE-
GRUNDY-GUTHRIE-HAMILTON-HANCOCK-HARDIN-HUMBOLDT-JASPER-KOSSUTH-LUCAS-
MADISON-MAHASKA-MARION-MARSHALL-MONROE-PALO
ALTO-POCAHONTAS-POLK-POWESHIEK-RINGGOLD-SAC-STORY-TAMA-TAYLOR-UNION-
WAPELLO-WARREN-WAYNE-WEBSTER-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-WRIGHT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALGONA...AMES...ATLANTIC...BOONE...
CARROLL...CENTERVILLE...CHARITON...CRESTON...DENISON...DES MOINES...
ESTHERVILLE...FORT DODGE...GRINNELL...INDIANOLA...IOWA FALLS...
KNOXVILLE...LAMONI...MARSHALLTOWN...MASON CITY...NEWTON...
OSKALOOSA...OTTUMWA...PELLA...PERRY...WATERLOO...WAVERLY AND WEBSTER
CITY
555 AM CDT SUN AUG 5 2001

* EVENT TIMING...UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY.

* THREAT CATEGORIES...
     TORNADO..........NONE
     DAMAGING WINDS...NONE
     LARGE HAIL.......NONE
     FLASH FLOODING...NONE

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK...NOT NECESSARY.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

THREAT KEY:
    TORNADO.......... ANY TORNADO OCCURRENCE
    DAMAGING WINDS... WINDS >= 58 MPH
    LARGE HAIL....... HAIL >= 3/4 INCH DIAMETER
    FLASH FLOODING... FLOODING CAUSED BY HEAVY RAINS WITHIN 6 HOURS
                      OF RAIN EVENT. POSES THREAT TO LIFE OR
                      PROPERTY.

THREAT CATEGORY KEY:  PROBABILITY OF THREAT OCCURRING WITHIN 25
                      MILES OF POINT WITHIN FORECAST AREA
    NONE....... NOT EXPECTED.  LESS THAN 5% ( 2% FOR TORNADOES)
    LOW........ 5-15% (2-15% FOR TORNADOES)
    MODERATE... 25-35%
    HIGH....... 45% OR GREATER

SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK KEY:
    NOT EXPECTED
    LOW........ ACTIVATION POSSIBLE BUT NOT LIKELY
    MODERATE... POSSIBILITIES ABOUT 50-50
    HIGH....... ACTIVATION LIK8ELY

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PROBABILISTIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOKS...GO
TO THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER WEBSITE AT
WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/PRODUCTS/OUTLOOK/PROBINFO.HTML .

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

51 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Adair

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Adair forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.331, -94.471 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Adams

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.029, -94.699 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Appanoose

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Appanoose forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.743, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Audubon

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Audubon forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.906 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Black Hawk

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Black Hawk forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.470, -92.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Boone

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.037, -93.932 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Bremer

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Bremer forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.775, -92.318 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Butler

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Butler forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.732, -92.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Calhoun

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Calhoun forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.385, -94.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Carroll

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.861 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Cass

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.332, -94.928 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Cerro Gordo

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Cerro Gordo forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.082, -93.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Clarke

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Clarke forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.029, -93.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Crawford

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Crawford forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.037, -95.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Dallas

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Davis

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Davis forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.748, -92.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Decatur

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Decatur forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.738, -93.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Emmet

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Emmet forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.378, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Franklin

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.733, -93.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Greene

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Grundy

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Grundy forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.402, -92.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Guthrie

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Guthrie forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.684, -94.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Hamilton

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Hancock

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Hancock forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.082, -93.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Hardin

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Hardin forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Humboldt

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Humboldt forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.777, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Jasper

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Jasper forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.686, -93.054 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Kossuth

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Kossuth forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.204, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Lucas

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Lucas forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.029, -93.328 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Madison

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.331, -94.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Mahaska

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Mahaska forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.335, -92.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Marion

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.099 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Marshall

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.036, -92.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Monroe

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.030, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Palo Alto

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Palo Alto forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.082, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Pocahontas

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Pocahontas forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.734, -94.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Polk

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.686, -93.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Poweshiek

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Poweshiek forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.686, -92.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Ringgold

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Ringgold forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.735, -94.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Sac

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Sac forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.386, -95.105 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Story

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Story forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.036, -93.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Tama

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Tama forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.080, -92.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Taylor

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Taylor forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.737, -94.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Union

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.028, -94.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Wapello

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Wapello forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.031, -92.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Warren

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Wayne

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.740, -93.327 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Webster

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.428, -94.182 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Winnebago

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Winnebago forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.378, -93.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Worth

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Worth forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.377, -93.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Wright

When: August 5, 10:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Wright forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.733, -93.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Heat, Polk	2001-08-05	88	Female	Permanent Home	Direct

What these are

Heat: Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, August 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5260661, 5260662, 5260663, 5260664, 5260665, 5260666, 5260667, 5260668, 5260669, 5260670, 5260671, 5260739, 5260740, 5260741, 5260742, 5260743, 5260744, 5260745, 5260746, 5260747, 5260748, 5260749, 5260750, 5260751, 5260752, 5260753, 5260754, 5260755, 5260756, 5260757, 5260758, 5260759, 5260760, 5260761, 5260762, 5260763, 5260764, 5260765, 5260766, 5260767, and more.