Flooding

Flash Flood Warning (Emmet and Palo Alto) until 3:30am

BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
927 PM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR…
WESTERN EMMET COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA…
WESTERN PALO ALTO COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA…

* UNTIL 330 AM CDT SUNDAY

* AT 926 PM CDT…TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. RAINFALL OF NEAR AN INCH IN THE PAST 30 MINUTES HAS OCCURRED OVER NORTHWEST EMMET COUNTY. RAINFALL OF AROUND AN INCH OR SO IS LIKELY OVER THE REST OF WESTERN EMMET COUNTY AND WESTERN PALO ALTO COUNTY BY 1030 PM.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE…EMMETSBURG AND ESTHERVILLE.

* SPOTTERS REPORTED MINOR FLOODING BEGINNING TO TAKE PLACE IN ESTHERVILLE.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING STREAMS AND DRAINAGES…
WEST FORK DES MOINES RIVER…JACK CREEK…SILVER CREEK…PICKEREL RUN…DITCH 60…CEDAR CREEK…NORTH BRANCH LIZARD CREEK…PILOT CREEK…CYLINDER CREEK…SOLDIER CREEK…BROWN CREEK…SCHOOL CREEK…BEAVER CREEK AND ELK CREEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS…HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY…COUNTRY ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS…STREAMS AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. TURN AROUND…DONT DROWN.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. DO NOT ENTER THE WATER. TURN AROUND AND MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.