FloodZoneMap.org

Flash Flood — Madison, IA

Jul 28, 2008

A very unstable airmass was in place over Iowa as a warm front lifted north slowly into the state. The warm air had moved in aloft as freezing levels increased from 14,600 feet in the morning, to 16,200 by the evening hours. The atmosphere was a high CAPE, moderate to high shear with CAPE rising to near 5000 J/kg by late afternoon. Lifted indices fell to -8 to -13 C. A speed max moved across the state during the late afternoon and evening hours with shear increasing to between 45 and 60 kts.

Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 107781). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.

Flood Risk Context for Madison, IA

This event is one of many recorded floods in Madison County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.

View Madison County flood data →

More Flood Stories

Flash Flood$200K damage

Madison, IA · Jul 20, 2025

A moist and unstable environment on the southern side of an east-west oriented boundary brought thunderstorms to areas along and south of Interstate 80 in Iowa during the late evening of July 19th, 2025 and morning of July 20th, 2025.

Read the full account →
Flood$100K damage

Madison, IA · Mar 13, 2019

Reports from the 13h through the 19th in this entry. ||A relatively deep and widespread snowpack existed across the region during early to mid March.

Read the full account →
Flood$250K damage

Madison, IA · Jul 29, 2015

A boundary was pushing through the state with ongoing convection through central Iowa through the day. As the boundary neared the area, the convection intensified and impacted central and southern Iowa in the evening to early morning hours.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood$150K damage

Madison, IA · Jul 28, 2015

A boundary was pushing through the state with ongoing convection through central Iowa through the day. As the boundary neared the area, the convection intensified and impacted central and southern Iowa in the evening to early morning hours.

Read the full account →