A moderately unstable airmass was in place across Iowa ahead of an approaching cold front.  The airmass was tropical in nature with a clear tropical connection evident on satellite pictures.  Precipitable water values were in the 2 to 2.5 inch range by mid afternoon.  Considerable debris cloudiness was over much of the state during the day from convection the previous night to the west.  The clouds kept temperatures from warming much above the 85 to 90 F. degree range ahead of the cold front, though dew points were in the mid 70s throughout the area.  Lifted indices were around -3 C.  Moderate CAPE was available and was in the 1500 to 2500 J/kg range.  The environment was weakly sheared with 20 to 30 kts of shear.  Thunderstorms persisted through the day over northwest Iowa ahead of the front.  During the afternoon, additional thunderstorms formed just ahead of the persistent area.  There was one report of golf ball size hail in Davis County, but hail was limited given the freezing level of 16,400 feet.  A few of the storms produced strong winds with a 60 MPH wind reported in Davis County.  The roof was damaged on a house south of Pulaski.  Storms downed several outbuildings and flattened a corn field west and north of Lacey  in Mahaska County.  That same storms also dropped 3 inches of rain in the area.  The main feature was the very heavy rainfall.  Thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall in the Osceola area of Clarke County.  Reports indicated 4.78 inches fell a half mile north of Osceola in under 2 hours.  A young boy and girl were playing in water after the rain near Murray.  The little girl went under and several feet underground through a pipe and ended up in a drainage ditch.  Her brother followed and suffered a broken leg.  Heavy rainfall also occurred in the Ottumwa area with nearly 2 inches falling in about an hour there as well.  Lightning struck a house northwest of Drakesville, in Davis County, setting it on fire.  The house was a total loss.  Another storm caused a fire near New Sharon in Mahaska County.  Lightning struck the barn, setting the wiring on fire.  Damage was limited to the roof area for the  most part.  The same storm produced high winds that blew over two sheds and a garage.

Flash Flood in CLARKE, IOWA
From 13-AUG-06 15:00:00 to 13-AUG-06 18:30:00 (CST)
Location: NORTH PORTION
Property damage: 25K
Crop damage: 2K
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Thunderstorm Wind in DAVIS, IOWA
From 13-AUG-06 18:14:00 to 13-AUG-06 18:14:00 (CST)
Location: BLOOMFIELD
Magnitude: 52 EG
Property damage: 2K
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Hail in DAVIS, IOWA
From 13-AUG-06 18:24:00 to 13-AUG-06 18:24:00 (CST)
Location: PULASKI
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 5K
Crop damage: 5K
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Flash Flood in WAPELLO, IOWA
From 13-AUG-06 18:15:00 to 13-AUG-06 20:00:00 (CST)
Location: OTTUMWA
Property damage: 10K
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Thunderstorm Wind in DAVIS, IOWA
From 13-AUG-06 18:20:00 to 13-AUG-06 18:20:00 (CST)
Location: PULASKI
Magnitude: 61 EG
Property damage: 15K
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Lightning in DAVIS, IOWA
From 13-AUG-06 18:00:00 to 13-AUG-06 18:00:00 (CST)
Location: DRAKESVILLE
Property damage: 50K
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Thunderstorm Wind in MAHASKA, IOWA
From 13-AUG-06 16:10:00 to 13-AUG-06 16:10:00 (CST)
Location: LACEY
Magnitude: 61 EG
Property damage: 40K
Crop damage: 10K
Reported by: COOP STATION

Thunderstorm Wind in MAHASKA, IOWA
From 13-AUG-06 16:30:00 to 13-AUG-06 16:30:00 (CST)
Location: NEW SHARON
Magnitude: 61 EG
Property damage: 25K
Crop damage: 10K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Lightning in MAHASKA, IOWA
From 13-AUG-06 16:36:00 to 13-AUG-06 16:36:00 (CST)
Location: NEW SHARON
Property damage: 40K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Thunderstorm Wind in MAHASKA, IOWA
From 13-AUG-06 16:13:00 to 13-AUG-06 16:13:00 (CST)
Location: OSKALOOSA
Magnitude: 50 EG
Property damage: 2K
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Hail in MAHASKA, IOWA
From 13-AUG-06 16:23:00 to 13-AUG-06 16:23:00 (CST)
Location: ROSE HILL
Magnitude: 0.75 
Crop damage: 5K
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC