Thunderstorms moved across the northwest part of the Des Moines CWA. Heavy rainfall of 3 to 4 inches caused several secondary roads to become flooded in the Wallingford area.
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 DMX wrote it up.
Thunderstorms moved across the northwest part of the Des Moines CWA. Heavy rainfall of 3 to 4 inches caused several secondary roads to become flooded in the Wallingford area. Rainfall of 3 to 5 inches in northern Palo Alto County resulted in flash flooding in the Graettinger area.
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 Jul 14, 12:20 PM CST, 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 120 PM CDT THU JUL 14 2011 ...UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM /TODAY/... A MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE IS KICKING OFF WIDELY SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN HALF OF IOWA AND ADJACENT SOUTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA AT THIS TIME. WHILE RADAR COVERAGE IS DECENT MUCH OF THE APPARENT PRECIP IS BARELY REACHING THE GROUND WITH A LOT OF TRACES BEING REGISTERED BY OBSERVING INSTRUMENTS. MODELS ARE UNANIMOUS IN SPREADING THIS LIGHT PRECIP ACROSS OUR NORTHERN THIRD OR SO THROUGH THIS MORNING BUT MAINTAINING OVERALL LIGHT INTENSITY AS THE SHORTWAVE MOVES BY BUT WE LOSE OUR NOCTURNAL ENHANCEMENTS. BY THIS AFTERNOON EXPECT ONLY A FEW LINGERING LIGHT SHOWERS AND STORMS ACROSS THE NORTH WITH THE WAVE MOVING AWAY AND A STRONG 500 MB RIDGE BEGINNING TO BUILD IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST. HAVE TRENDED POPS APPROPRIATELY AND WILL FOREGO A PRE-FIRST PERIOD AS CURRENT RADAR MORE OR LESS REFLECTS EXPECTED PRECIP LOCATION LATER THIS MORNING. OTHERWISE HAVE MADE FEW CHANGES TO THE FORECAST...RELATIVELY HIGH CLOUD COVER ACROSS THE AREA ESPECIALLY THIS MORNING ALONG WITH SOMEWHAT COOL AIR FILTERING IN FROM THE EAST WILL HELP TO KEEP TEMPS DOWN...BUT WE WILL SEE SOME WARMING ESPECIALLY ACROSS OUR SOUTHWEST AS THE SURFACE HIGH MOVES AWAY AND WINDS COME AROUND TO SOUTH SOUTHEAST BENEATH THE APPROACHING WARM RIDGE ALOFT. IN ANY EVENT TODAY WILL BE OUR COOLEST DAY FOR QUITE SOME TIME GIVEN THE LONG RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSED BELOW...SO IF YOU HAVE PLANS OUTDOORS ENJOY THE RELATIVELY COOL WEATHER WHILE YOU CAN. .LONG TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS WITH MCS POTENTIAL FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA AS A SHORTWAVE RIDES ALONG THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TRACK AND TIMING...SO LEANED TOWARD A BLEND. OTHER ISSUE IS WITH HIGHLY ADVERTISED STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDING INTO THE REGION LATE THIS WEEKEND AND PROVIDING VERY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...A COUPLE OF RIDGE RIDERS WILL AFFECT THE REGION WITH THE FIRST CUTTING ACROSS NORTHWEST IOWA INTO SOUTHERN MINNESOTA TONIGHT. SYSTEM LOOKS TO STAY TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE FORECAST AREA AND ONLY LEFT SOME SMALL AMOUNT OF POPS ACROSS THE NORTH FROM 06-18Z FRIDAY. HOWEVER...LOW CONFIDENCE WITH ANYTHING LATE FRIDAY MORNING AS SYSTEM QUICKLY MOVES NORTHEAST. WENT DRY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS FORECAST AREA IN BETWEEN VORT MAXES BEFORE THE SECOND SHORTWAVE RIDES ALONG THE RIDGE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. HAVE THE HIGHEST POPS ACROSS THE NORTH B/T 06Z-12Z SATURDAY WITH THE LLJ INCREASING AND VERY GOOD MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO NORTHWEST IOWA. THERE IS SOME DECENT ML CAPE AVAILABLE RANGING FROM 1000-1700 J/KG IN NORTH CENTRAL TO NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. DEEP LAYER SHEAR SEEMS REASONABLE ENOUGH TO KEEP CONVECTION ORGANIZED OVERNIGHT FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...BUT LOOKS TO TRACK JUST TO THE NORTHWEST OF FORECAST AREA. ANY SEVERE STORMS WILL BE CONFINED TO ONLY A HANDFUL OF COUNTIES DURING THIS TIME FRAME. SUNDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...VERY LARGE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE REGION SUNDAY AND DOMINATES THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THERE IS NO SIGN OF RIDGE RELAXING ANY UNTIL POSSIBLY LATE NEXT WEEK. SO EXPECTING AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY. RAISED DEW POINTS A DEGREE OR TWO ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH SOUTHERLY FLOW PERSISTING DURING THIS TIME. THIS RESULTED IN THE HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS NEAR 110 OR POSSIBLY HIGHER AT TIMES. VERY GOOD POTENTIAL FOR AN LONG DURATION HEADLINE BEGINNING SUNDAY AND INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...ESPECIALLY WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS REMAINING IN THE UPPER 70S TO AROUND 80. && .AVIATION...14/18Z UPDATED DSM TAF AS LOW CLOUDS ARE DISSIPATING ACROSS THE SOUTH. STILL SOME LOW CLOUDS ACROSS THE WEST WHICH SHOULD MAKE IT INTO KDSM LATER THIS AFTERNOON BUT INITIAL LOW CLOUDINESS IS DISSIPATING. KMCW AND KALO ALSO LOSING THEIR LOWER CLOUD CEILINGS SO I UPDATED TO MAKE PREDOMINANT CIG VFR. .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... DEEP MOISTURE ROTATING UP INTO WESTERN IOWA AROUND THE RETREATING SURFACE HIGH. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IN THE FLOW WAS ABLE TO TAP THAT MOISTURE AND PRODUCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCED SOME HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA. THE TAIL END OF THAT SYSTEM IS EXITING KMCW/KALO AREAS NOW AND SHOULD BE EAST OF KALO BY 21Z. THERE WILL STILL BE SUFFICIENT MOISTURE AROUND FOR AN MVFR/IFR DECK THROUGH 00Z OR POSSIBLY LATER. THERE WILL BE A POTENTIAL FOR FOG TONIGHT AS THE WARM ADVECTION TO THE WEST PUSHES INTO CENTRAL IOWA. WE SHOULD FINALLY BREAK OUT OF THE MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS AFT 12Z-14Z ON THE 15TH. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...LEE LONG TERM...PODRAZIK AVIATION...FAB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 505 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011 IAZ004-024-086-151015- EMMET-HUMBOLDT-WAPELLO- 505 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE WEST FORK OF THE DES MOINES RIVER AS WELL AS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE DES MOINES RIVER. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MIDDAY TODAY ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA...THEN MAINLY CONFINED TO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER...GENERALLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 3 AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 69. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. AN EXTREMELY HOT AND HUMID AIR MASS IS FORECAST TO SETTLE INTO THE STATE BY SUNDAY AND CONTINUE INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. HEAT INDEX READINGS DURING THIS TIME PERIOD ARE ANTICIPATED TO RANGE FROM 100 TO 110 DEGREES DURING THE PEAK HEATING PERIODS AND REMAIN IN THE 80S TO LOWER 90S DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN IOWA. IAZ005>007-015>017-023-025>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>085-092>097-151015- KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO-POCAHONTAS- WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN- GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA- AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON- WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-TAYLOR- RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 505 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MIDDAY TODAY ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA...THEN MAINLY CONFINED TO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER...GENERALLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 3 AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 69. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. AN EXTREMELY HOT AND HUMID AIR MASS IS FORECAST TO SETTLE INTO THE STATE BY SUNDAY AND CONTINUE INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. HEAT INDEX READINGS DURING THIS TIME PERIOD ARE ANTICIPATED TO RANGE FROM 100 TO 110 DEGREES DURING THE PEAK HEATING PERIODS AND REMAIN IN THE 80S TO LOWER 90S DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. KLP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1117 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011 IAZ004>007-015>017-141830- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ESTHERVILLE...ALGONA...FOREST CITY... NORTHWOOD...EMMETSBURG...GARNER...MASON CITY 1117 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011 ...HEAVY RAINFALL WILL OCCUR ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA THIS MORNING... SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM THE SHOWERS AND STORMS RANGE FROM AN INCH AND A HALF TO TWO AND A HALF INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. AS HEAVY RAIN FALLS...STORM SEWERS MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY HANDLING RUNOFF AND FIELDS MAY SEE SOME PONDING WATER. BE PREPARED FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED PONDING OF WATER...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS AND IN FIELDS. THE RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OUT OF THE AREA FAIRLY QUICKLY SO LARGE SCALE FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED. FAB
The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 156 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:27 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several secondary roads flash flooded in Wallingford. Three to four inches of rain fell between Wallingford and Graettinger.
Considerable water flowing over the highway. The water was over a foot deep.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, July 2011
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: 311066, 322408.