Flash Flood in Minnesota, September 13, 2005

Name: Flash Flood in Minnesota, September 13, 2005
Start: 2005-09-13T14:30
End: 2005-09-13T17:00
Location: Minnesota

September 13, 2005 · NWS ARX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches in one to two hours caused flash flooding. Due to the heavy rain, mudslides occurred along Highway 16 near La Crescent.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $8,000
Events: 1

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 ARX wrote it up.

Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches in one to two hours caused flash flooding. Due to the heavy rain, mudslides occurred along Highway 16 near La Crescent. Law enforcement officials also reported water was one to two feet deep in some of the streets in Caledonia, La Crescent and Spring Grove.

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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 13, 2:07 PM CST, 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 13, 2:07 PM CST, 23 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
307 PM CDT TUE SEP 13 2005

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT

FORECAST CONCERNS ARE ON SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THIS EVENING...THEN
MAINLY TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD.

18Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH SOUTHEAST
MINNESOTA. STRONG TO SEVERE CONVECTION LIFTING NORTHEASTWARD OUT OF
IOWA INTO THE AREA AHEAD OF ADVANCING SHORTWAVE. TRENDS HAVE BEEN
FOR LESS ORGANIZATION WITH TIME. HOWEVER WITH STRONG INSOLATION
EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON CAPES AHEAD OF THE FRONT ARE AROUND 3000 J/KG.
IN ADDITION...BLUE RIVER WI PROFILER SHOWS MODERATE LOW-LEVEL FLOW
INCREASING TO 50 KT FROM THE SOUTHWEST AT MID LEVELS...RESULTING IN
BULK SHEAR VALUES IN THE 0-6 KM LAYER OF 40 TO 50 KNOTS. PER
COORDINATION WITH SPC...NEW WATCH NOW IN EFFECT ACROSS MOST OF THE
REST OF THE FORECAST AREA.

12Z 13SEP05 MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH OVERALL PATTERN
TRANSITIONING FROM SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ACROSS FORECAST AREA TO A
MORE ZONAL FLOW BY THE END OF THE PERIOD.

IN THE NEAR TERM...CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE AHEAD OF THE FRONT
THIS EVENING AS IT SAGS SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA. EXPECT SEVERE
THREAT MAINLY EARLY THIS EVENING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE
FORECAST AREA. GIVEN SHEAR AND INSTABILITY PARAMETERS EXPECT
MAINLY A WIND AND HAIL THREAT. STRONG COLD ADVECTION THEN TAKES OVER
LATER TONIGHT WITH TIME HEIGHT CROSS SECTIONS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY
SHOWING CLEARING SKIES LATE. ALTHOUGH WINDS SHOULD REMAIN UP A LITTLE
TONIGHT WILL LIKELY SEE SOME FOG BY MORNING...ESPECIALLY IN THE
VALLEY LOCATIONS.

HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDS IN FOR WEDNESDAY WITH MUCH LOWER
HUMIDITIES AND MORE SEASONAL TEMPERATURES. WITH FLOW BECOMING MORE
ZONAL...NEXT WAVE EXPECTED TO TRAVERSE ALONG THE U.S/CANADIAN BORDER
THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. BEST FORCING LOOKS TO REMAIN TO OUR NORTH
WITH ONLY SOME MID OR HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS TO MANIFEST ITSELF IN OUR
AREA. THUS HAVE PULLED THE LOW POPS OUT OF THE NORTHWEST SECTIONS OF
THE FORECAST AREA. FORCING WITH THIS THEN REMAINS TO OUR NORTH ALL
THE WAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

AS FOR TEMPERATURES...EXPECT MUCH COOLER READINGS OVER THE NEXT FEW
DAYS. GUIDANCE NUMBERS IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT AND IN LINE WITH
CURRENT GRIDDED DATABASE. THIS MADE ONLY SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS.

.LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW SOME DIFFERENCES THROUGH THE
PERIOD. ALL AGREE ON TAKING TROUGH ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS AND
TRANSLATING IT EASTWARD THROUGH THE PERIOD. QUESTION IS ON STRENGTH
AND TIMING. ECMWF WEAKER AND MORE PROGRESSIVE VERSUS THE GFS.
ENSEMBLE MEANS SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN. THUS CONFIDENCE FACTOR MEDIUM IN
THIS TIME FRAME...ALTHOUGH GIVEN NEARLY ZONAL FLOW WILL LEAN TOWARD
A SLIGHTLY FASTER SOLUTION. AS TROUGH MOVES EASTWARD...CYCLOGENESIS
TO OCCUR IN THE LEE OF THE ROCKIES ON SATURDAY. FRONTAL BOUNDARY
INITIALLY NORTH OF THE AREA AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD WILL SAG
SOUTHWARD AS TROUGH APPROACHES. POPS WARRANTED FROM SATURDAY NIGHT
THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. QUESTION THEN WILL BE HOW PROGRESSIVE BOUNDARY
IS IN GETTING THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY. FOR NOW WILL KEEP POPS
ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THIS TIME FRAME TO BE
NEAR OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMALS.

&&

.ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...NONE.
MN...NONE.
IA...NONE.
&&

RABERDING

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 13, 1:25 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
225 PM CDT TUE SEP 13 2005

IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034-
041>044-053>055-061-141000-
ADAMS-ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CHICKASAW-CLARK-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-DODGE-
FAYETTE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-GRANT-HOUSTON-HOWARD-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE-
MITCHELL-MONROE-MOWER-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON-
WABASHA-WINNESHIEK-WINONA-
225 PM CDT TUE SEP 13 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST
MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL
WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A COLD FRONT WILL TRACK SLOWLY ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON...
EXITING INTO EASTERN WISCONSIN THIS EVENING. TO THE SOUTHWEST...AN
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL SPIN NORTHEAST AHEAD OF THE FRONT...
TRACKING ACROSS SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN ALSO DURING THE EVENING HOURS.
THESE WEATHER FEATURES WILL WORK ON THE INSTABILITY ACROSS THE REGION
TO TRIGGER THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE
INSTABILITY AND WIND PROFILES WILL FAVOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT...WITH ISOLATED SUPERCELLS ALSO POSSIBLE. THE MAIN
THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THE NEXT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL COME THURSDAY AS ANOTHER WEAK
DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA. THE BEST CHANCE FOR RAIN
WILL BE NORTH OF A LINE FROM AUSTIN AND WINONA MINNESOTA...TO
NEILLSVILLE WISCONSIN. IT DOES NOT APPEAR AT THIS TIME THAT ANY OF
THESE STORMS WILL BECOME SEVERE.  THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE
ON SUNDAY...BUT IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF SEVERE WEATHER WILL
OCCUR.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
THIS EVENING. SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO DEPLOY AS
THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH THEIR AREA. THE MOST FAVORABLE TIMES FOR
ACTIVATION WILL BE THROUGH 6 PM.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION...

NO CALL IS SCHEDULED.

RIECK

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 13, 1:14 PM CST, 1 hour 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
214 PM CDT TUE SEP 13 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0212 PM     HAIL             3 N STACYVILLE          43.48N 92.78W
09/13/2005  0.75 INCH        MITCHELL           IA   PUBLIC

&&

SHEA

Special weather statement, Sep 13, 1:21 PM CST, 1 hour 9 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
221 PM CDT TUE SEP 13 2005

MNZ079-087-088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034-041>044-053-140200-
ADAMS-BUFFALO-CLARK-FILLMORE-HOUSTON-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE-MONROE-
MOWER-OLMSTED-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON-WABASHA-WINONA

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
782 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

IN MINNESOTA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 6 COUNTIES

IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA

FILLMORE              HOUSTON               MOWER
OLMSTED               WABASHA               WINONA

IN WISCONSIN THIS WATCH INCLUDES 10 COUNTIES

IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN

ADAMS                 CLARK                 JUNEAU

IN NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN

TAYLOR

IN SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN

VERNON

IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN

BUFFALO               JACKSON               LA CROSSE
MONROE                TREMPEALEAU

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...AUSTIN...CALEDONIA...FRANKLIN...
GLENDALE...INDEPENDENCE...LA CROSSE...MAUSTON...MEDFORD...
NEILLSVILLE...ONALASKA...ROCHESTER...RUSHFORD...VIROQUA...
WABASHA AND WINONA.

IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-WIZ054-055-061-140000-
ALLAMAKEE-CHICKASAW-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-FAYETTE-FLOYD-GRANT-HOWARD-MITCHELL-
RICHLAND-WINNESHIEK

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 781 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

IN IOWA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 8 COUNTIES

IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA

FLOYD                 MITCHELL

IN NORTHEAST IOWA

ALLAMAKEE             CHICKASAW             CLAYTON
FAYETTE               HOWARD                WINNESHIEK

IN WISCONSIN THIS WATCH INCLUDES 3 COUNTIES

IN SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN

CRAWFORD              GRANT                 RICHLAND

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...CHARLES CITY...CRESCO...DECORAH...
ELKADER...NEW HAMPTON...OELWEIN...OSAGE...PLATTEVILLE...
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN...RICHLAND CENTER AND WAUKON.

Local storm report, Sep 13, 1:51 PM CST, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
251 PM CDT TUE SEP 13 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0250 PM     HAIL             1 W PETERSON            43.79N 91.85W
09/13/2005  0.88 INCH        FILLMORE           MN   PUBLIC

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL

&&

SHEA

Local storm report, Sep 13, 1:59 PM CST, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
259 PM CDT TUE SEP 13 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0256 PM     HAIL             3 N PETERSON            43.83N 91.83W
09/13/2005  1.00 INCH        FILLMORE           MN   PUBLIC

&&

SHEA

Local storm report, Sep 13, 2:05 PM CST, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
305 PM CDT TUE SEP 13 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0304 PM     HEAVY RAIN       4 NW DAKOTA             43.95N 91.42W
09/13/2005  1.00 INCH        WINONA             MN   AMATEUR RADIO

            1.00 INCH OF RAIN FELL IN 30 MINUTES.

&&

SHEA

Local storm report, Sep 13, 2:25 PM CST, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
325 PM CDT TUE SEP 13 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0305 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NEW HAMPTON             43.06N 92.31W
09/13/2005                   CHICKASAW          IA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LARGE BRANCHES DOWN OVER MUCH OF CITY.

&&

SHEA

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 29 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Houston

When: September 13, 2:30 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Houston County, Countywide
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $8,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.667, -91.483

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, September 2005

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: 5474735.