4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
A series of shortwave troughs traversing the northern CONUS brought unsettled weather to the area for the end of June. On the 21st, a stationary front was draped across northeast Nebraska into Iowa.
Read the full account →The second of two squall lines that developed in western Iowa the night of 21 May 2004 moved across Eastern Iowa and Northwest Illinois during the morning hours.
Read the full account →Warm weather arrived in central Iowa by the 8th and 9th of March. This caused rapid melt of the snow cover. Considerable ice remained on area rivers. An ice jam formed on the Raccoon River near Van Meter. The ice jam backed up for over 12 hours before breaking.
Read the full account →Heavy rainfall across northern Iowa and southern Minnesota sent a wave of flood water south along the Des Moines River The upper reaches flooded earlier in the month with the water reaching farther south after mid month.
Read the full account →Showers and thunderstorms brought torrential rains of 2 to 3 inches to areas along and east of a line extending from northeast Missouri, to Fort Madison, Iowa, to Roseville, Illinois during the evening of August 10.
Read the full account →Additional thunderstorm activity moved through Iowa. Round after round of heavy rainfall resulted in saturated soils and quick runoff of the rainfall.
Read the full account →Rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches caused widespread flash flooding. Numerous road washouts were reported by law enforcement officials across northeast Iowa. In addition, two bridges were washed out and 40 homes received flood damage in Fredericksburg (Chickasaw County).
Read the full account →A generally wet period with repeated thunderstorms from August into early September led to a number of area rivers having above normal river levels.
Read the full account →A generally wet period with repeated thunderstorms from August into early September led to a number of area rivers having above normal river levels.
Read the full account →A generally wet period with repeated thunderstorms from August into early September led to a number of area rivers having above normal river levels.
Read the full account →A generally wet period with repeated thunderstorms from August into early September led to a number of area rivers having above normal river levels.
Read the full account →A very dynamic pattern was in place over the state with a closed low located over southern Canada into the north central U.S. A very strong jet of 85 to 100 kts as present at 250 mb. CAPE by early morning was already 3000 to 4000 J/kg with downdraft CAPE of 1000 to 1400 J/kg.
Read the full account →An upper level storm system moved across the high Plains during the afternoon on Tuesday June 3rd, and then across the mid Missouri River Valley on Tuesday night.
Read the full account →An upper level storm system moved across the high Plains during the afternoon on Tuesday June 3rd, and then across the mid Missouri River Valley on Tuesday night.
Read the full account →A very warm and humid airmass was in place over Iowa on the 11th. During the previous two days, strong capping was in place across the state. A cold front began to move into the state on the 11th as upper level heights and temperatures began to fall.
Read the full account →A strong push of moisture took place during the overnight hours of the 24th into the morning of the 25th. The low level jet increased to 60 kts, bringing a return of moisture to the area. Precipitable water values increased to just under 2 inches by morning.
Read the full account →A record rain event in May in eastern Montana combined with high water from other storms in April and May and brought high water to the Missouri River chain of reservoirs. Water levels were further increased by the melting of a above normal snow pack in the northern Rockies.
Read the full account →Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches were common across northeast Iowa during the afternoon of September 9th. This rain fell fast enough and on soils that were already saturated leading to more flash flooding.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the second week of August resulted in the Des Moines River at Keosauqua going above the moderate flood stage level of 25 feet on August 9 around 940 pm CDT. It crested above the major flood stage level around 28.3 feet around 7 am CDT August 12.
Read the full account →Heavy rains returned to Iowa again this month with thunderstorms widespread over the state. The south half of Iowa received the heaviest rainfall. The passage of the seasons first organized mesoscale convective complex. Several inches of rain fell in less than 6 hours.
Read the full account →Showers and thunderstorms moved repeatedly over parts of northeast Iowa and northwest Illinois between 12 and 7 AM on the morning of July 18th dumping 2 to 6 inches of rain on the area resulting in flash flooding.
Read the full account →Rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches caused widespread flash flooding. Numerous road washouts were reported by law enforcement officials across northeast Iowa. In addition, two bridges were washed out and 40 homes received flood damage in Fredericksburg (Chickasaw County).
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the middle of the month resulted in the Iowa River at Marengo going above the moderate flood stage level of 15.5 feet on June 19th around 8 pm. It crested around 16.1 feet around 4 am June 20 and again around 16.2 feet around 730 am June 24.
Read the full account →Once again, a warm frontal boundary was located to the south of Iowa with very warm and unstable air just to the south of the front. Dew point temperatures were in the low 70s in the warm air. This moisture was drawn north over the frontal boundary, into Iowa.
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