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Heat Burst hits SW IA Tuesday evening

News, Weather

August 24th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

If you noticed it became unusually, and suddenly hot Tuesday evening here in Atlantic, and in the surrounding area, you weren’t imagining things. The National Weather Service in Des Moines says a rare phenomenon known as a “Heat Burst” affected portions of southwest Iowa. A Heat Burst is characterized by a sudden rise in temperature, a drop in humidity, and strong winds that can approach or exceed severe levels. They are associated with high-based decaying thunderstorms with a substantial dry layer between the base of the storm.

As rain from the thunderstorm falls into the underlying dry air, it cools the air immediately around it, which becomes denser than the surrounding air, and begins to sink. As this air sinks, it dries and compresses, resulting in the hot and dry readings recorded with heat bursts.

Here in Atlantic, at the KJAN studios…the official National Weather Service reporting station…our temperatures from 1-to 6-pm were generally in the mid-80’s. The high here at the station reached 97-degrees.

According to the Automated Weather Observation System located at the airport, just before 7-p.m., the winds began to increase from 15- to 30-miles per hour. By 7:15, were gusting upwards of 40-miles per hour, and the temperature jumped from 88-degrees at 6:55-p.m., to 99-degrees at 7:15. The temp maxed out at 102-degrees, 10-minutes later, and by 7:35 had dropped to 91. The air cooled to the mid 80’s by 8-p.m.

The phenomenon also brought some damaging winds to part of the listening area. Officials with the Weather Service say a Heat Burst-related wind event caused a tree to fall on a power line in Bridgewater, at around 6:50-p.m. At 7:05, a tree was observed down on a power line one-mile south of Brayton. Other tree limbs also fell, as winds of up to 40-miles per hour occurred. The temperature in that area also spiked, from 76- to 96-degrees in just a few minutes. There was also a sharp drop in the humidity. And, a 60-mile per hour gust of wind was recorded in Fontanelle at 7:44-p.m., by an automated system.

Heavy rain drenches western Iowa, eastern Nebraska (updated 6:45-a.m.)

News, Weather

August 22nd, 2011 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Heavy rain has flooded some streets and basements in far western Iowa and eastern Nebraska. Standing water blocked streets early Monday morning in Council Bluffs and across the Missouri River in Omaha, Neb. Council Bluffs officials asked residents in the Playland Park neighborhood on the west side of the city to remain in their homes until the rain runoff had dropped to safe levels. No evacuations were ordered. The American Red Cross says it was opening a shelter at Community of Christ Church on the east side of the city so people have a place to stay.

In Omaha, some streets just north of downtown were closed, and golfball-sized hail was observed.  Two- to three-inch diameter hail which fell at around 3:45-a.m. ,broke out several automobile windows in the Bellevue, NE.,   No injuries or deaths have been reported.

The National Weather Service in Valley, NE, reports 2.79-inches of rain had fallen near Glenwood, with three separate waves of hail ranging from pea to quarter-sized having fallen, as well. In Carter Lake, 3.31-inches of rain had fallen by 5-a.m., and anywhere from two-to three-inches of rain had fallen in the Omaha/Council Bluffs metro area.

Iowa DOT still looking over flood damage to western Iowa roads & bridges

News, Weather

August 20th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation are hoping they don’t hear the word “flood” for years to come. Iowa D-O-T spokeswoman Dena Gray-Fisher says they are still in the process of surveying the damages done to roadways across western Iowa that have been underwater for more than two months.  “An inventory of all of the assets that we have in the areas that are flooded,” Gray-Fisher says. “Those could be signs that might be damaged, the roadway, culverts, bridges. That’s kind of the first step.” Gray-Fisher says there is bridge damage at Hamburg Iowa along Interstate-29. There’s also a report of an 11-foot hole under a section of pavement that eroded. She says it’s too early to see if there’s damage to the Mormon Bridge between Omaha and Council Bluffs and to the bridge between Onawa, Iowa and Decatur, Nebraska, further to the north.

She says, “That is one area that we already know there’s a serious problem with some bridges there and that’s going to take some major repair work and it will likely prolong us getting back to a recovered state.” Gray-Fisher says the DOT is continuing to monitor the situation by air as the flood water is preventing crews from getting a close-up look at the damage.  “Some of the aerial visuals we’ve seen, we do know that damage has occurred, we just don’t know the extent until the waters go down and that will begin, more significantly, by the end of this month,” she says. Along with I-29, there are seven major Iowa roads closed due to flooding.

The Iowa side of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge that connects Council Bluffs and Omaha also remains closed.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

Hail pounds western Iowa college campus

News, Weather

August 19th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Broken windows, damaged buildings and landscaping may be part of the college scene next week as classes begin at Iowa Western Community College on the east side of Council Bluffs. Powerful thunderstorms ripped through the area Thursday night, leaving thousands of people without power. Softball-size hail pounded the college campus and vehicles parked there. In another part of Council Bluffs, officials reported that an ambulance was stranded by high water and mud for more than 90 minutes. It wasn’t carrying a patient.

MidAmerican Energy says power still hasn’t been restored to more than 5,000 customers in Pottawattamie County, across the Missouri River from Omaha.

Storms pound eastern Nebraska, western Iowa

News, Weather

August 19th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Powerful thunderstorms that ripped through eastern Nebraska and western Iowa damaged homes, vehicles and businesses and has left thousands of people without power. Omaha Public Power District reported that more than 8,100 customers didn’t have power as of 4:30 a.m. Friday, down from a peak of more than 40,000 customers at 11 p.m. Thursday. MidAmerican Energy says power still hasn’t been restored to more than 5,000 customers in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha.No storm-related deaths have been reported.

Hail from the rain-laden storms shattered windows, roofs and siding at homes around the region. Omaha’s Eppley Airfield was closed for a time and more than a dozen flights were canceled. Damage to seven aircraft was reported. Winds gusted at more than 60 mph.

Severe Storms bring large hail & damaging winds to western IA (updated 10:50-a.m. 8/19)

News, Weather

August 19th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Storms across the Midwest last night, brought heavy rain and large hail to portions of South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa. The National Weather Service says a storm near Omaha produced softball-size hail and winds of more than 65 miles per hour.

Winds gusting up to 65-miles per hour were reported one-mile west of Harlan at around 4-p.m. Emergency management officials said a farm was damaged five-miles northwest of Harlan at around that same time, where grain bins and outbuildings were destroyed, and a 1,000-gallon propane tank was moved 10-feet.

Winds of more than 70 miles per hour were reported north of Villisca just after 6-pm, Thursday, along with quarter-sized hail. In Griswold, winds gusted up to 55 miles per hour and heavy rain was reported at 5:15-p.m. A KJAN listener who lives near Interstate 80 and the Olive Street exit in Cass County, said hail estimated to be about the size of ping-pong balls fell for about 5-minutes, just after 7-p.m., Thursday. KJAN News Director Ric Hanson observed pea to nickel-sized hail falling just before 7:30-p.m., in the same area.

Baseball-sized hail was reported to have fallen four-miles south of Stanton, other reports of golfball-sized hail came from Council Bluffs, and areas near Tennant, Nodaway, Farragut, Gravity, and Randolph. Charles Ambrose, Emergency Management Director in the Taylor County town of Gravity, told the media at least one downtown building had its windows broke, and hail completely covered the ground.

Quarter-sized hail was reported at many other locations, including Hancock, Underwood, Glenwood, and Clarinda. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued in all three states

late Thursday afternoon, with a tornado warning in north central Nebraska.

Storms bring rain, hail to Midwest

News, Weather

August 18th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Storms are erupting across the Midwest, bringing heavy rain, large hail and the threat of tornadoes to portions of South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa.

Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued in all three states late Thursday afternoon, with a tornado warning in north central Nebraska.

The National Weather Service says a storm near Omaha, Neb, produced softball-size hail and winds of more than 65 mph. In Dixon County in northeast Nebraska, strong winds and hail broke out some windows in buildings in Waterbury.

Winds of more than 55 mph and heavy rain were reported in western Iowa in Griswold.

Forecasters say widespread thunderstorms are expected into Thursday night in southeast South Dakota, eastern Nebraska and western Iowa as a cold front moves across the region.

Special Weather Statement concerning heavy rainfall

News, Weather

August 16th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

ADAIR-ADAMS-CASS-RINGGOLD-TAYLOR-UNION-

914 AM CDT TUE AUG 16 2011

…THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN AND SOUTHWEST IOWA… 

THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE ANOTHER INCH OF RAINFALL THROUGH 10 AM BETWEEN ATLANTIC…CRESTON…MOUNT AYR…BEDFORD AND CORNING. SOME OF THIS AREA HAS ALREADY RECEIVED 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN ACCORDING TO RAIN GAGE MEASUREMENTS AND DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES. STREET FLOODING AND PONDING OF WATER WILL OCCUR IN URBAN AREAS…ALONG WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY. DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS COULD QUICKLY RISE TO BANK FULL IN RURAL AREAS. THE AREA OF HEAVIEST RAIN SHOULD BEGIN TO DRIFT SOUTH INTO MISSOURI AFTER 10 AM. 

OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING…BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS…ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. 

IF YOU ENCOUNTER PONDED WATER ON HIGHWAYS…DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH IT.

24-hour rainfall totals in & near Atlantic…(updated 10:30-a.m.)

News, Weather

August 16th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Thanks to all who reported their rainfall to us here at KJAN, via the phone and thru Facebook! We appreciate the information 🙂

As of 7-a.m. (the 24-hour reporting cycle)…..

In Atlantic, at the KJAN studios (official NWS reporting site) = 3.00-inches

In Lewis, nearly 2.oo-inches (listener report)

Near Hamlin, 1.5-inches (listener Facebook report)

N. of Marne, 3.9-inches (listener report)

In Massena (official spotter) = 3.6-inches

Near I-80/Hwy 71 = 4.1-inches (reported by a resident)

Harlan = 1.8-inches

Audubon = 1.7-inches (Mayor Sam Kauffman reporting)

Heavy rain event

News, Weather

July 16th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Heavy rain and intense lightening ripped through the area early this morning. The storms dumped 3.32-inches of rain in Atlantic (here at the KJAN studios) between 1-and 2-a.m., and caused street flooding and scattered power outages. Higher rainfall amounts were reported further to the northwest, near the Marne area.

Excessive run-off from the rainfall was expected to cause flash flooding to occur. The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for northwestern Cass County until 8:30-a.m.   A Flash Flood warning that had been in effect for eastern Pottawattamie and Shelby Counties until 5-a.m., was cancelled just before 4 o’clock, as excess runoff from the heavy rain had ended, and streams and creeks in the warned area were expected to have begun receding, therefore ending the flood threat. If flooding is or has been observed, you’re asked to report the incident to law enforcement.

A lightening strike may also have sparked a barn fire a few miles south of Marne, at around 3:40-a.m. Cass County Communications dispatched Marne and Atlantic Fire to the Sonya Schuler residence at 55242 560th Street. The barn, which contained a snowmobile and camper, was reported to have been fully engulfed in flames minutes after the first firefighters’ page went out.