4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
A very unstable airmass was in place over Iowa. Afternoon temperatures warmed into the upper 80s to mid 90s, with dewpoint readings in the upper 70s to low 80s. A weak boundary extended out of eastern Nebraska across northern Iowa. This boundary helped to focus moisture.
Read the full account →An unstable airmass was located over Iowa. A cold front moved into the western part of the state during the afternoon. Thunderstorms erupted around mid day and tracked east across the southern and eastern part of the state.
Read the full account →An unstable airmass was located over Iowa. A cold front moved into the western part of the state during the afternoon. Thunderstorms erupted around mid day and tracked east across the southern and eastern part of the state.
Read the full account →An unstable airmass was located over Iowa. A cold front moved into the western part of the state during the afternoon. Thunderstorms erupted around mid day and tracked east across the southern and eastern part of the state.
Read the full account →A very unstable airmass was in place over Iowa. Afternoon temperatures warmed into the upper 80s to mid 90s, with dewpoint readings in the upper 70s to low 80s. A weak boundary extended out of eastern Nebraska across northern Iowa. This boundary helped to focus moisture.
Read the full account →A cold front moved southeast across the state during the day on the 21st. The airmass was moderately unstable with CAPE values ahead of the front around 2000 J/kg and lifted indices of -3 to -6 C.
Read the full account →A very moist airmass remained in place over Iowa. Precipitable water values were near 2.25 inches when a wave of low pressure moved northeast along a stalled front to the south of the state.
Read the full account →A cold front entered the state from the northwest. The atmosphere became very unstable with CAPE rising to near 5000 J/kg and lifted indices falling to around -10 C.
Read the full account →Once again the atmosphere over Iowa became very unstable during the peak heating of the day. CAPE rose to 3500-4500 J/kg by the mid to late afternoon with lifted indices of -8 to -10 C.
Read the full account →Once again the atmosphere over Iowa became very unstable during the peak heating of the day. CAPE rose to 3500-4500 J/kg by the mid to late afternoon with lifted indices of -8 to -10 C.
Read the full account →Once again the atmosphere over Iowa became very unstable during the peak heating of the day. CAPE rose to 3500-4500 J/kg by the mid to late afternoon with lifted indices of -8 to -10 C.
Read the full account →Once again the atmosphere over Iowa became very unstable during the peak heating of the day. CAPE rose to 3500-4500 J/kg by the mid to late afternoon with lifted indices of -8 to -10 C.
Read the full account →A cluster of thunderstorms developed and moved eastward across Delaware County during the early morning hours of August 13. One storm was severe downing a tree in Manchester, IA.
Read the full account →A line of thunderstorms blasted across parts of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois during the early morning hours of June 23. With temperatures hovering|near 80, the storms had plenty of instability to work with and as a result produced isolated wind damage from Jesup, Iowa to…
Read the full account →The nearly stationary frontal boundary that had plagued Iowa for the previous couple days remained in place, setting the stage for strong thunderstorm development to the north of the front.
Read the full account →The nearly stationary frontal boundary that had plagued Iowa for the previous couple days remained in place, setting the stage for strong thunderstorm development to the north of the front.
Read the full account →The nearly stationary frontal boundary that had plagued Iowa for the previous couple days remained in place, setting the stage for strong thunderstorm development to the north of the front.
Read the full account →A strong warm advection pattern set up over Iowa during the evening of the 21st into the morning hours of the 22nd. Strong moisture transport pooled moisture over the state with precipitable water values increasing to 2 to 2.3 inches over the north half of the state.
Read the full account →Moisture was drawn north into Iowa during the overnight hours of the 6th into the 7th. The freezing level rose to around 14,500 feet as precipitable water rose to 1.5 to 2 inches.
Read the full account →A very unstable airmass was in place over Iowa as a cold front approached from the west. High temperatures the previous day were in the upper 80s and 90s for the most part, with 101 at Fairfield. Dewpoint readings were in the 70s east to near 80 over the west.
Read the full account →A line of showers and thunderstorms moved across parts of eastern Iowa and Illinois during the afternoon and evening of June 23. These storms produced rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches and strong winds of 60 to 80 mph.
Read the full account →A very unstable airmass was in place over Iowa ahead of an approaching cold front and short wave. The cold front itself was over South Dakota, and set off a line of severe thunderstorms in front of it.
Read the full account →A very unstable airmass was in place over Iowa ahead of an approaching cold front and short wave. The cold front itself was over South Dakota, and set off a line of severe thunderstorms in front of it.
Read the full account →Moisture was drawn north into Iowa during the overnight hours of the 6th into the 7th. The freezing level rose to around 14,500 feet as precipitable water rose to 1.5 to 2 inches.
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