The evening of August 11th, an isolated thunderstorm developed over Linn County Iowa, near Cedar Rapids. This storm was weak in nature, but developed a highly visible funnel cloud, that at times, came very close to the ground.
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.
The evening of August 11th, an isolated thunderstorm developed over Linn County Iowa, near Cedar Rapids. This storm was weak in nature, but developed a highly visible funnel cloud, that at times, came very close to the ground. A tornado warning was issued, and numerous calls were received from the public and media about this funnel. Though it came very close to the ground, the continuous video and photos of this funnel at close range show that it did not touch the ground.
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 Aug 11, 5:20 PM CST, 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL 620 PM CDT Sun Aug 11 2019 ...AVIATION UPDATE... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 308 PM CDT Sun Aug 11 2019 Afternoon surface analysis shows a surface low in northern Iowa in the vicinity of KMCW with a warm front stretching southeastward towards KSQI and then southward to KPIA. The remains of a morning MCS continued to dissipate as it moves eastward across southern Iowa this afternoon. A cold front trailed the surface low to the southeastward to KDSM to southeastern Nebraska. As of 3 PM temperatures ranged from 76 degrees at KFEP to 84 degrees at KBRL, KIIB, and KMPZ. Dewpoints were generally in the lower to mid 70s across the area. && .SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Tonight) ISSUED AT 308 PM CDT Sun Aug 11 2019 Short term period is this afternoon and tonight. The main model differences are between the Synoptic Models and CAMs. The main forecast concerns are chances of precipitation. The synoptic models are depicting the upper level support that brought todays showers and thunderstorms lingering across the area through 00 UTC Monday before shifting eastward along with the better moisture. This would give us a dry forecast through 12 UTC Monday. The Convective Allowing Models simulated radar reflectivity continue to keep convection festering across the area south of Interstate 80 into the evening hours. The current forecast is a compromise between these two ideas. The best chances for showers and storms will be south of a Fairfield to Galesburg line. A marginal risk of severe thunderstorms remains in place across the region. The main concern has been the risk of isolated damaging winds. Satellite is depicting decrease clouds to the west which could helps us to further destabilize late this afternoon and into this evening. Brief periods of heavy downpours are possible with any storms. .LONG TERM...(Monday through Sunday) ISSUED AT 308 PM CDT Sun Aug 11 2019 Monday Overview: A quick moving shortwave impulse and MCS will propagate from NE Colorado tonight to the Upper Mississippi Valley on Monday. Latest indications are for the storm complex to weaken as it heads into Iowa, outrunning the better LLJ convergence. With that said, the HRRR maintains a strong line into the southwest Monday morning before weakening it further. Leftover rain and embedded thunder can then be expected from the late morning into the afternoon especially across the northern two-thirds of the area. Severe Thunderstorm Potential: As surface-based instability rapidly increases through the mid to late afternoon south of I-80, and a surface low approaches, convective redevelopment is expected. The Storm Prediction Center has an Enhanced risk for severe storms over the south-central to southeast CWA, roughly southeast of a line from Aledo, IL to Kahoka, MO. A Slight risk extends further to the north and northwest. Best estimate on timing for severe storms is between 3 to 10 PM. The primary risks are damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, and localized flash flooding. Large hail is also possible with discrete cells. Moderate shear of 40-50 kts and high instability (2500-3500 J/kg of SBCAPE) are supportive of a supercellular storm mode with storms that redevelop during the afternoon/evening. Cold pool organization should lead to upscale growth into a linear structure with potential for enhanced wind damage in bowing segments later into the evening. Some uncertainty as to where the MCS matures. It could occur in our south and southeast, or focus more into central Illinois. The atmosphere will become anomalously moist with PWATs near 2 inches, setting the stage for a county or two wide corridor of 1-3" rainfall amounts. Models have been trending the heaviest rain axis southward. The HREF members are in decent agreement hitting counties south of I-80 and east of a Muscatine to Memphis, MO line with the highest rain totals. The ground is very dry, but for areas that receive hourly rain rates near 2", localized flash flooding is possible with urban locations of greatest concern. Held off on a Flash Flood Watch for now due to uncertainty on convective placement and potential for training storms. Uttech Tuesday...There may be morning fog in heavy rainfall areas if north sfc winds don't increase in time. Will have to watch for northwest flow system in the wake of the passing Monday wave to possibly produce sctrd showers and storms in building afternoon instability especially north of I80. But for now will limit POPs until more confidence is attained. Wednesday through Saturday...After a below normal temp Wednesday, re- building thermal ridge upstream to the west will try to migrate eastward and make for re-bounding temps by late week and next weekend. In the process, still some chance for warm air advection fueled storm clusters in or near the CWA especially at night for portions of friday into Saturday. ..12.. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Monday Evening) ISSUED AT 616 PM CDT Sun Aug 11 2019 A chaotic mix of VFR and MVFR cigs will continue to trend towards VFR this evening, with isolated storms possible, especially over central Illinois. A storm is possible at any time during the next 24 hours, but we will focus our attention towards the late afternoon hours Monday, as a wave of low pressure rides along a front over the region. This should drive a strong area of storms through the entire area, with some threat for damaging winds as they arrive, especially along and south of Interstate 80 in Iowa and Illinois during the afternoon and early evening Monday. Heavy rain, low visibility and hail are also possible, but with this in the extended period of the TAF, we have indicated an MVFR condition in cigs and visibility, with high confidence of that occurring, since we cannot yet identify the critical hours of VLIFR in strong storms yet. ERVIN && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...Cousins SHORT TERM...Cousins LONG TERM...Uttech/12 AVIATION...Ervin
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL 342 PM CDT Sun Aug 11 2019 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-122045- 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- 342 PM CDT Sun Aug 11 2019 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 Isolated thunderstorms are possible this afternoon into tonight. The primary threats are lightning and gusty winds. The Storm Prediction Center has a Marginal risk for severe storms in the counties south of Interstate 80. Storm coverage should remain low, along with the potential for severe weather. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY The Storm Prediction Center has an Enhanced risk for severe storms Monday afternoon and evening, approximately along and to the southeast of a line from Aledo, Illinois to Kahoka, Missouri. A Slight risk extends to the northwest into the Interstate 80 corridor. Coverage of storms will likely be scattered initially before congealing into a line across the southeast part of the outlook area. The primary risks are damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, and localized flash flooding. Hourly rainfall rates could exceed 2 inches in the strongest storms, most favored in the enhanced risk zone. The most likely timing for severe storms is between 3 and 10 PM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter and amateur radio activation is not anticipated through tonight. Uttech
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Quad Cities IA/IL 535 PM CDT Sun Aug 11 2019 ILC187-112315- Warren- 535 PM CDT Sun Aug 11 2019 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN WARREN COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM CDT... At 534 PM CDT, a strong thunderstorm was located over Roseville, or 13 miles south of Monmouth, moving east at 25 mph. Pea size hail is possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Roseville, Little Swan Lake, Greenbush, Berwick, Warren County Fairgrounds, Swan Creek and Youngstown. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm. Minor flooding of low lying areas, creeks, streams and urban areas is possible. If you encounter water over a roadway, do not drive through it. LAT...LON 4063 9072 4079 9075 4085 9044 4063 9045 TIME...MOT...LOC 2234Z 263DEG 20KT 4071 9064 Ervin
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE Quad Cities IA/IL 715 PM CDT Sun Aug 11 2019 IAZ051-052-120045- Linn-Benton- 715 PM CDT Sun Aug 11 2019 ...Weak showers capable of producing funnel clouds will affect east central Benton and southwestern Linn Counties... At 714 PM CDT...Showers capable of producing funnel clouds were located over 5 miles west of Hiawatha, or over 8 miles west of Cedar Rapids...MOVING east AT 5 MPH. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, Robins, Atkins, Palo and Morgan Creek Park. LAT...LON 4199 9186 4206 9183 4206 9165 4194 9170 TIME...MOT...LOC 0014Z 276DEG 5KT 4201 9178 Ervin
The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:13 UTC.
1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous public reports of a funnel were received. Though clear evidence of a well developed funnel was reported, it appears the circulation never reached the ground.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, August 2019
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: 850820.