Hot and humid conditions were in place across the region on June 23. A line of showers and storms plowed east and southeast across eastern Iowa, northeastern Missouri, and west central Illinois.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS DVN wrote it up.
Hot and humid conditions were in place across the region on June 23. A line of showers and storms plowed east and southeast across eastern Iowa, northeastern Missouri, and west central Illinois. Some of the storms were severe packing winds of 60 to 80 miles per hour. Heavy rains also led to some flash flooding.
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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 23, 2:15 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
315 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 2009
WEAK IMPULSE /RIDGE RIDER/ LIFTING E/NE THROUGH EASTERN SD WITH LINE
OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS EXTENDING NEAR I-35 CORRIDOR FROM SOUTH
CENTRAL MN THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL IA. EXTREME INSTABILITY EXISTS IN
ADVANCE OF LINE WITH AXIS OF SBCAPES OF 5000-7000 J/KG AND LI/S
-9 TO -13 ACROSS CENTRAL IA. DECENT SHEAR RIGHT WITH CONVECTION AND
ATTENDANT SHORTWAVE... WITH 0-1KM BULK SHEAR 20 KTS AND 0-6KM AT
30-40 KTS SUPPORTIVE OF SEVERE POTENTIAL. OUTSIDE OF THE
CONVECTION... VERY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT WINDS MAKING
FOR OPPRESSIVE AFTERNOON WITH HEAT INDICES WIDESPREAD GENERALLY IN
RANGE OF 100-110 DEGS. ..05..
&&
.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...
WESTWARD RETROGRESSION OF HEAT DOME ALONG WITH SHORTWAVE ENERGY
TRAVERSING ACROSS NORTHERN CONUS WILL LEAD TO OVERALL FLATTENING OF
UPPER RIDGE... WHICH WILL PUT CWA IN CROSS HAIRS OF RING OF FIRE
WITH INCREASINGLY DIFFLUENT FLOW ALOFT SUPPORTIVE OF INCREASED
RISK OF CONVECTION IMPACTING CWA NEXT 24 HRS AND BEYOND. FIRST ROUND
WILL BE THIS EVE... AS NORTH CENTRAL IA LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE
STORMS MOVES EAST THEN SOUTHEAST IN LINE WITH THE CORFIDI FORWARD
PROPAGATING VECTORS... AND ALONG EDGE OF MID LEVEL CAP... IMPACTING
AREAS MAINLY NORTH OF NEWTON IA TO WASHINGTON IA TO GALESBURG IL
LINE. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CLOSELY FOR ORGANIZATION/COLD POOL
WHICH APPEARS TO BE UNDERWAY ATTIM THAT COULD BRING ENHANCED THREAT
OF STRAIGHT LINE WINDS/DAMAGE TO ESPECIALLY NORTHERN AREAS.
NON-LINEAR PROCESSES DOMINATE IN THIS SUMMERTIME ENVIRONMENT... WITH
NA MODEL QPF ESPECIALLY UNRELIABLE... AS EVIDENCE BY HANDLING OF
THIS AFTN CONVECTION. BUT MODELS NOT TOTALLY USELESS AND IN FACT
DOING WELL WHEN STRIPPED DOWN TO BARE ESSENTIALS OR LARGE SCALE
FORCING UTILIZING H5 HEIGHTS/VORTICITY AND H3 JET/DIVERGENCE. THE H3
DIVERGENCE FIELDS FROM 12Z NAM DOING EXCEPTIONALLY WELL PINPOINTING
ORGANIZED CONVECTION THIS AFTN. UTILIZING THIS AND ALSO H5 FIELDS...
IN ADDITION TO LOW LEVEL JET SUPPORTS ADDITIONAL CONVECTION WITH
POTENTIAL MCS DEVELOPING TNGT ACROSS PORTIONS OF NE NORTHWARD
INTO DAKTOAS AND PROPAGATING AND/OR DEVELOPING E/SE EVENTUALLY ACROSS
NORTHERN 1/2 TO 2/3RDS ON WED... WITH ATTENDANT THREAT OF SEVERE
WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN. TIMING STILL IN QUESTION... SO WENT WITH
12 HOUR WX/POP GRID.
AS FAR AS HEAT ADVISORY... A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY EXISTS WITH TEMPS
AND MAKING CRITERIA ON WED DUE TO INCREASED RISK OF PCPN... AND
DEBRIS CLOUDINESS AT THE VERY LEAST. WILL THEREFORE LET THE ADVISORY
EXPIRE AT 02Z AND LET MID CREW RE-EVALUATE CONVECTIVE TRENDS
FOR POSSIBLE ISSUANCE. ..05..
.LONG TERM...
WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH THE MAIN RIDGE CENTER
AMPLIFYING OVER THE EASTERN GRT BSN AND UP THE NW HIGH PLAINS THIS
PERIOD...FAVORABLE DIFFLUENT MID/UPPER NORTHWESTERLY LEVEL FLOW
PATTERN LAID OUT ACRS IA INTO IL WED NIGHT INTO THU TO DUMP/STEER
ANY STORM COMPLEX/MCS RIGHT THROUGH THE CWA WED NIGHT INTO THU
MORNING. OF COURSE MUCH WILL DEPEND ON WHAT LINGERS LOCALLY OUT OF
WED PAST 00Z...BUT SEVERAL MCS GENERATION TOOLS ON NORTHERN FRINGE
OF DEEP CONVECTIVE INDEX PLUME SUGGESTS MORE MCS DEVELOPMENT ALONG
THE SD/NE BORDER INTO NW IA/SW MN WEDNESDAY EVENING AND WITH THE
RESULTANT COMPLEX THEN PROPAGATING EAST-SOUTHEASTWARD ON IN A THTA-E
RICH ENVIRONMENT OVER MOST OF THE DVN CWA OVERNIGHT WED NIGHT INTO
THU MORNING. LLJ NOT ALL THAT EXTREME WITH 20-25 KT SOUTHWESTERLY
FEED AND CONVERGENCE ACRS THE AREA...BUT PW IN-FEED PROGGED AT 1.7 TO
2+ INCHES SUGGESTS YET ANOTHER HEAVY RAIN EVENT AND LIKE PREVIOUS
SHIFT STATED...PROBABLY AN EVENTUAL NEED FOR A FLASH FLOOD WATCH
FOR WED NIGHT INTO THU MORNING FOR MOST OF THE DVN CWA IF
EVENT SIGNALS PERSIST. LOW TO MID LEVEL SHEAR VALUES ARE RATHER
WEAK FOR SVR STORM GENERATION ON FCST SOUNDINGS WED EVENING...BUT
HIGH CAPES WOULD STILL SUPPORT A DAMAGING WIND THREAT ALONG WITH AN
ISOLATED WEAK TORNADO OR GUSTNADO TYPE PHENOMENA. BUT HEAVY RAIN AT
RATES OF 2+ INCHES AN HOUR WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT THIS PERIOD. 12Z
RUN MODELS THEN DIVERGE SOME ON LINGERENCE OF ANY CONVECTION OR
RE-FLARE UP DURING THE DAY ON THU BUT FOR NOW WILL WALK OUT ACTIVITY
AS THE DAY PROGRESSES TO THE SOUTH AND EAST. HIGH TEMPS THU OF
COURSE HIGHLY DEPENDANT ON TIMING OF DEBRIS CLEAR OUT AND MAY SIDE
WITH COOLER UPPER 80S ADVERTISED BY THE MET GUIDANCE AS OPPOSED TO
LOWER 90 MAV HIGH TEMPS IN MOST OF THE LOCAL AREA. BOTH SFC AND
UPPER RIDGE COMPLEX WILL THEN LOOK TO MIGRATE BACK EASTWARD AND EDGE
ACRS THE REGION FOR A FAIR WX LATE THU AND THU NIGHT PERIOD WITH
SOME FOG POTENTIAL BY EARLY FRI MORNING IN AREAS THAT CLEAR OUT OVER
RAIN SOAKED TERRAIN.
IN THE EXTENDED/FRI-TUE/...MEDIUM RANGE ENSEMBLES CONTINUE TO PUSH
RIDGE COMPLEX ACRS THE WESTERN GRT LKS ON FRI FOR A DRY DAY. EVEN
THOUGH THERE MAY BE SOMEWHAT LOWER DPTS AND WEAK MIXING UNDER THE
HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM...STILL EXPECT TEMPS TO RECOVER TO AROUND 90
LOOKING AT CURRENTLY PROGGED THERMAL PROFILES WITH SEASONABLY
STRONG INSOLATION. MODELS THEN DIVERGE IN HANDLING THE NEXT DIGGING
NORTHERN STREAM WAVE ACRS THE GRT LKS WITH THE ECMWF CONTINUING TO
BE THE STRONGEST WITH THIS FEATURE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF
NORTHWEST FLOW AND COOLER TEMPS FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEKEND
AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS NOT BEFORE A FRONTAL SYSTEM USHERED
THROUGH THE AREA FOR THE NEXT ORGANIZED STORM CHANCE EITHER SAT OR
SAT NIGHT DEPENDING ON TIMING/PHASING ISSUES AND WILL MAINTAIN CHC
POPS FOR BOTH PERIODS. AM SOMEWHAT LEARY OF THE MAIN STORM TRACK
BEING ADVERTISED BY MOST OF THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS SHUNTED SO FAR
SOUTH FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR ACRS KS TO MO AND UP THE OH RVR VALLEY
FOR SUNDAY THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY NIGHT. BUT WILL KEEP GENERALLY
DRY THIS PERIOD WITH NEXT CHANCE OF RETURN FLOW PRECIP BY NEXT
TUESDAY. ..12..
&&
.AVIATION...
LINE OF TSRA OVER NORTH CENTRAL WILL MOVE EAST AND THEN SOUTHEAST AND
LIKELY TO IMPACT KCID AND KDBQ TERMINALS BETWEEN 22Z-02Z... AND
POSSIBLY KMLI AND KBRL TOWARD END OF WINDOW. STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 40 KTS TO POSSIBLY 60 KTS WITH MVFR TO POSSIBLY IFR
CIGS/VSBYS COULD IMPACT KCID/KDBQ WITH THE LINE OF TSRA. ANOTHER
ROUND OF SHRA/TSRA POSSIBLE TO IMPACT TERMINALS LATE TNGT AND DURING
THE DAY ON WED. ..05..
&&
.DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR BENTON-BUCHANAN-
CEDAR-CLINTON-DELAWARE-DES MOINES-DUBUQUE-HENRY IA-IOWA-
JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-JONES-KEOKUK-LEE-LINN-LOUISA-
MUSCATINE-SCOTT-VAN BUREN-WASHINGTON.
IL...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR BUREAU-CARROLL-
HANCOCK-HENDERSON-HENRY IL-JO DAVIESS-MCDONOUGH-MERCER-
PUTNAM-ROCK ISLAND-STEPHENSON-WARREN-WHITESIDE.
MO...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR CLARK-SCOTLAND.
&&
05/12/05HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 327 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 2009 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-241245- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON- CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON- HENRY IA-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON- WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK- 327 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL IOWA...NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 90S WILL COMBINE WITH THE HUMID CONDITIONS TO SEND THE HEAT INDEX INTO THE DANGEROUS CATEGORY TODAY. THE HEAT INDEX IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 100 TO 115 RANGE THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS AREAS MAINLY WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 34 LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 TO 80 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO OCCUR WITH THE STORMS... WHICH COULD CAUSE SOME FLASH FLOODING. AREA RIVERS ARE EXPERIENCING FLOODING. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENTS AND FLOOD WARNINGS FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL WEAKEN AND DISSIPATE ACROSS THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY. AT THIS TIME...THE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. THE COMBINATION OF HUMIDITY AND VERY WARM TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE HEAT INDICES OF 95 TO 100. ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. HOWEVER...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY RAIN EVENT IF THE STORMS CAN BECOME ORGANIZED. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
439 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0436 PM TSTM WND GST GARRISON 42.14N 92.14W
06/23/2009 E45 MPH BENTON IA EMERGENCY MNGR
0436 PM TSTM WND GST 1 SSW BELLE PLAINE 41.89N 92.28W
06/23/2009 E45 MPH BENTON IA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
TS/LEThe La Crosse radar (KARX), 149 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:43 UTC.
43 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 60 to 70 mph in Fairbank, IA around 445 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 70 to 75 mph about 3 miles west of Garrison, IA around 452 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 80 mph in Shellsburg, IA around 455 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 70 mph about 5 miles south of Vinton, IA around 456 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph ripped a 20 foot by 20 foot section of roof shingles off of Sportsman's Restaurant about 1 mile north of Hazleton, IA around 457 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 65 mph in Urbana, IA around 458 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 65 mph in Newhall, IA around 500 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew some trees down in Newhall, IA around 500 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 60 mph in Walker, IA around 500 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew a 4 to 5 inch diameter tree down in Cedar Rapids, IA around 510 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 75 to 80 mph in Independence, IA around 512 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down 2 trees in Hazleton, IA around 515 pm June 23. Numerous tree limbs were also blown down.
Wind gusts estimated to be 75 mph blew a tree down striking a woman at 625 42nd St. NE in Cedar Rapids, IA at 517 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 70 to 75 mph 1 mile south southeast of Cedar Rapids, IA around 520 pm June 23.
Sustained winds of 70 to 75 mph were observed 1 mile south southeast of Cedar Rapids, IA from 520 pm to 525 pm June 23. Several tree branches were blown down.
Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew down some tree branches 4 inches in diameter about 3 miles east of Cedar Rapids, IA around 521 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 70 mph in West Amana, IA around 524 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 75 mph blew a 1 foot diameter tree down across 20th Ave SW in Cedar Rapids, IA around 525 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down a tree up to 1 foot in diameter on Johnson Ave NW near Middle Amana, IA around 530 pm June 23. Some tree branches were also blown down.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 80 mph 1 mile west of Tiffin, IA around 537 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew some branches down 1 mile southwest of Richmond, IA around 540 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 60 mph in Coralville, IA around 543 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 75 mph caused considerable tree and limb damage throughout the greater Cedar Rapids, IA area around 555 pm June 23. A large portion of the city was without power.
Wind gusts were estimated to be up to 70 mph in Hills, IA around 601 pm June 23.
Heavy rains caused some flash flooding on the south side of Iowa City during the early evening of June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew down some branches in Birmingham, IA around 622 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew the siding off a house in New London, IA around 639 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew some siding off a house on the northwest side of New London, IA around 640 pm June 23. This report was relayed by the emergency manager of Henderson County Illinois.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 50 to 60 mph in New London, IA around 645 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 60 mph just east of Lake Geode or about 5 miles southwest of Danville, IA around 649 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down a 50 to 60 foot tall pine tree about 2 miles north of Burlington, IA around 655 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down some power lines onto Highway 61 about 3 miles north of Burlington, IA around 656 pm June 23. The highway was closed for a time.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down a 6 foot diameter tree at a residence about 3 miles south of Burlington, IA around 700 pm June 23. Another large tree was split in the backyard of the residence.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 70 mph in Keokuk, IA around 720 pm June 23.
Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew some 5 inch diameter tree limbs down about 1 mile southeast of Keokuk, IA around 725 pm June 23.
Wind gusts were estimated to be 65 mph about 1 mile southeast of Keokuk, IA around 725 pm June 23.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, June 2009
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: 185490, 185491, 185492, 185493, 185494, 185495, 185497, 185506, 185510, 185526, 185527, 185529, 185531, 185546, 185547, 185548, 185549, 186196, 185550, 185551, 185552, 185556, 185553, 185554, 185557, 185559, 185560, 185561, 185562, 185563, 185564, 185565, 185566, 185567, 185568, 185570, 185571, 185572, 185573, 185574, and more.