Flood, Humboldt
- When
- April 13, 3:03 PM CST to April 16, 8:45 PM CST
- Where
- Humboldt County, 0.53 mi S of Humboldt Muni Arpt to 1.07 mi S of Dakota City
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- Official NWS Observations
- Coordinates
- 42.722, -94.249
Flood in Iowa, April 13 to 16, 2010
A small area of heavy rainfall occurred between Spencer and Mason City. This caused the Des Moines river to rise once again after it had fallen below flood stage a few days prior.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- 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 DMX wrote it up.
A small area of heavy rainfall occurred between Spencer and Mason City. This caused the Des Moines river to rise once again after it had fallen below flood stage a few days prior. The river crested several inches above flood stage in Humboldt.
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 Apr 13, 1:46 PM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 13, 1:46 PM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 246 PM CDT TUE APR 13 2010 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE OVER THE WESTERN DAKOTAS IS HELPING TO CREATE A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS. A WARM FRONT EXTENDED ESE FROM THE LOW...THROUGH SD...SW MN AND NC IA. NORTH OF THERE LOW CLOUDS AND SHRA DRIFTED EAST...WHILE TO THE SOUTH THE WARM SECTOR WAS WELL MIXED WITH TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL. ..LEGRO.. && .SHORT TERM... TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY... WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING...ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS. TONIGHT AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS CONTINUES TO DRIFT EAST...CI TOPPING THE RIDGE WILL PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE CLOUD COVER THAN PREVIOUS NIGHTS. AS A RESULT LOWS WILL BE A FEW DEGREES WARMER THAN THIS MORNING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NC IA. MAIN CONCERN IS WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE COLD FRONT CURRENTLY OVER THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS. AS IT ADVANCES EAST...FORCING BOTH WEAKENS AND HEADS NORTH OF THE REGION. WITH THIS IN MIND...FAVOR THE SLOWER THE TIMING OF THE BOUNDARY INTO NW IA AROUND 14/18Z. THOUGH WINDS WILL BE GUSTY OUT OF THE SW...MORE IN THE WAY OF CLOUD COVER WILL KEEP TEMPS DOWN FROM TODAY. THE FAR SE OF THE CWA WILL SEE SUNSHINE THE LONGEST...AND WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE AT 80 DEGREES AGAIN. DURING THE AFTERNOON THE BEST CHANCE FOR -TSRA WILL BE ACROSS THE NW HALF OF THE AREA. INSTABILITY WILL BE LIMITED DUE TO CLOUD COVER...BUT BETTER SHEAR SUGGESTS THERE COULD BE AN ISOLATED STRONGER STORM CAPABLE OF GUSTY WINDS. MORE LIKELY WILL BE ISOLATED HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM THE SLOW MOVING NATURE OF THE BOUNDARY. ..LEGRO.. .LONG TERM... UPPER LOW WILL MOVE EAST THROUGH SCNTRL CANADA WEDNESDAY...THEN TURN SE TOWARD NEW ENGLAND THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. A COLD FRONT AHEAD OF THE MID LEVEL SYSTEM SHOULD REACH THE NWRN CWFA BY THURSDAY MORNING AND EXIT THE SE LATE THURSDAY NIGHT/EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. A NARROW BAND OF SURFACE/H8 MOISTURE AHEAD OF THE FRONT FRONT ALONG WITH MODEST FORCING SHOULD SUPPORT A NARROW LINE PREFRONTAL SHRA/TSRA AS THE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. SINCE MODELS SOLUTIONS WERE CLOSE WITH THE TIMING OF THE FRONT THROUGH AREA...HAVE INCREASED POPS INTO THE HIGH CHANCE OR LIKELY CATEGORY. MARGINAL CAPE AND SHEAR AHEAD OF THE FRONT SUGGEST THAT SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT LIKELY. FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...REGION WILL BE UNDER NORTHWEST FLOW AS UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE ROCKIES AND UPPER LOW MOVES SLOWLY THROUGH NEW ENGLAND. REGION SHOULD REMAIN RELATIVELY QUIET THROUGH PERIOD AS LARGE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE MOVES THROUGH OVER THE WEEKEND THEN STALLS JUST TO THE EAST EARLY NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN THROUGH THE PERIOD AS THE SURFACE HIGH MOVES THROUGH. THE ECMWF IS SHOWING DEWPOINTS IN THE MID/UPPER 20S WITH THE CENTER OF THE HIGH...SUPPORTING LOWS WELL INTO THE 30S...IF WE GET GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING AS SUGGESTED BY THE MODELS. FOR NOW HAVE ACCEPTED HPC GUIDANCE TEMPS FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IN THE SOUTHWEST. IN THE NORTHEAST...WHERE THE CENTER OF THE HIGH IS PROGGED TO MOVE THROUGH...HAVE TRIMMED HPC MAX/MIN TEMPS A FEW DEGREES. MONDAY AND TUESDAY SHOULD SEE A MODERATION IN TEMPS AS WEAK RETURN FLOW SETS UP OVER THE REGION. THE 12Z GFS AND THE 00Z ECMWF WERE BREAKING OUT SOME LIGHT PCPN OVER THE WRN CWFA WITH THE RETURN FLOW. HOWEVER THIS WAS DISCOUNTED WITH LOW LEVEL EASTERLY FLOW OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S AND SOUTHERN PLAINS BLOCKING ANY SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE RETURN. ..DLF.. && .AVIATION... 13/18Z...UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS MOVES EAST ALLOWING MORE HI CLOUDS TO SPILL OVER THE TOP. SOME DIURNAL CU POSSIBLE TODAY...ESPECIALLY FROM FOD TO MCW. EITHER WAY VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL THROUGH OVERNIGHT PD...UNTIL THE APPROACH OF A CDFNT LATE IN THE TAF PD. FOR NOW BRING IN SOME LWR VFR CLOUD DECKS TO FOD AND MCW BY 14/15Z. NOT CONFIDENT IN FAST EWD MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT...SO HELD OUT MENTION OF VCSH OR VCTS AROUND 14/18Z FOR LATER SHIFTS. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...LEGRO LONG TERM...DLF AVIATION...LEGRO
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 13, 3:43 AM CST, 11 hours 20 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...RESENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 443 AM CDT TUE APR 13 2010 IAZ004>007-015>017-026>028-039-140945- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO-FRANKLIN- BUTLER-BREMER-BLACK HAWK- 443 AM CDT TUE APR 13 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A PORTION OF CENTRAL IOWA MAINLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 20. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA WEDNESDAY...AND OVER THE REST OF THE STATE WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED THOUGH SOME STORMS COULD BE STRONG AND PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED BUT RAINFALL REPORTS AND REPORTS OF HAIL OF ANY SIZE FROM STORMS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. IAZ023>025-033>038-044>050-057>062-070>074-081>085-092>097-140945- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN- GRUNDY-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON- GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN- MARION-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE- APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 443 AM CDT TUE APR 13 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A PORTION OF CENTRAL IOWA MAINLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 20. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA WEDNESDAY...AND OVER THE REST OF THE STATE WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED THOUGH SOME STORMS COULD BE STRONG AND PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED BUT RAINFALL REPORTS AND REPORTS OF HAIL OF ANY SIZE FROM STORMS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. IAZ075-086-140945- MAHASKA-WAPELLO- 443 AM CDT TUE APR 13 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A SMALL PORTION OF CENTRAL IOWA...MAINLY BETWEEN OSKALOOSA AND OTTUMWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA WEDNESDAY...AND OVER THE REST OF THE STATE WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED THOUGH SOME STORMS COULD BE STRONG AND PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED BUT RAINFALL REPORTS AND REPORTS OF HAIL OF ANY SIZE FROM STORMS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. FAB
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Dakota, April 13, 2010
- High Wind in Nebraska, April 13, 2010
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in Puerto Rico, April 13, 2010
- Winter Storm in Montana, April 13 to 14, 2010
- High Wind in South Dakota, April 13, 2010
- High Wind in Kansas, April 13, 2010
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Nebraska, April 13, 2010
- High Surf in Hawaii, April 13 to 14, 2010
- Strong Wind in Nebraska, April 13, 2010
- Frost and Freeze in New York, April 13, 2010
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, April 13, 2010
- Hail in Colorado, April 13, 2010
More
Every storm in Iowa in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, April 2010
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: 219712.