4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
April temperatures averaged 46.4�� or 2.1�� below normal while pecipitation totaled 5.93 inches or 2.60 inches above normal. This ranks as the 31st coldest and 2nd wettest April among 136 years of state records.
Read the full account →A frontal boundary was located to the northwest of Iowa and remained nearly stationary as a shortwave advanced across the state. The airmass became very unstable with in the 3000 to 4000 J/kg range and lifted indices in the -6 to -9 C. range.
Read the full account →A very dynamic weather situation unfolded during the 5th into the 6th. Although the atmosphere was summer like in the lower elevations, the upper levels were more typical of April.
Read the full account →Yet another heavy rain event affected much of central and south central Iowa on the night of the 27th with Guthrie Center reporting 6.73 inches of rain. A few unofficial reports were as high as 7 inches that fell in the Stuart area of southeast Guthrie County.
Read the full account →The warm front from the previous night lifted north of the state as low pressure pushed northeast out of Kansas across northwest Iowa. The atmosphere became quite unstable. Lifted indices fell to -6 to -8, with CAPE values in the 1000 to 2000 J/kg range.
Read the full account →Another round of rainfall hit the state with the hardest hit being the central into the northeast counties. The flooding was mostly along the Des Moines, Iowa, and Cedar River Basins.
Read the full account →Above normal rainfall over the course of June, combined with a robust rainfall event between June 20th and 22nd, led to widespread river flooding across portions of northeast Iowa.
Read the full account →Above normal rainfall over the course of June, combined with a robust rainfall event between June 20th and 22nd, led to widespread river flooding across portions of northeast Iowa.
Read the full account →Above normal rainfall over the course of June, combined with a robust rainfall event between June 20th and 22nd, led to widespread river flooding across portions of northeast Iowa.
Read the full account →A rather chaotic but weak upper level flow was over Iowa. The air mass became unstable during the late afternoon as temperatures warmed in to the mid 70s. Thunderstorms erupted and moved very slowly west. One of the storms remained nearly stationary over Pocahontas County.
Read the full account →A large and unseasonably warm system brought showers and thunderstorms to the state. Over an inch of rain fell across much of Iowa. In northern Iowa, this was on top of a snowpack of two to four inches.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the third week of June resulted in the Wapsipinicon River at Anamosa going above the moderate flood stage level of 15.5 feet on June 21 around 100 am. It crested around 15.6 feet around 700 am June 21.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the third week of June resulted in the Iowa River at Marengo going above the moderate flood stage level of 15.5 feet on June 14th around 11 pm. It crested around 17.5 feet around 100 am June 24.
Read the full account →A cold front stalled out across eastern Iowa September 13 while remnants from Pacific Hurricane Lowell and moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Ike moved across the region. Copious amounts of rain was the result over much of the Midwest.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the last week of April resulted in the Iowa River at Marengo going above the moderate flood stage level of 15.5 feet on April 29th around 2 am. It crested around 17.64 feet around 9 pm April 30.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the second week of August resulted in the Skunk River at Augusta going above the moderate flood stage level of 17 feet on August 13 around 2 pm CDT. It crested above the major flood stage level around 23.3 feet around 1 pm CDT August 16.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the second week of August resulted in the Skunk River at Augusta going above the moderate flood stage level of 17 feet on August 13 around 2 pm CDT. It crested above the major flood stage level around 23.3 feet around 1 pm CDT August 16.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the second week of August resulted in the Skunk River at Augusta going above the moderate flood stage level of 17 feet on August 13 around 2 pm CDT. It crested above the major flood stage level around 23.3 feet around 1 pm CDT August 16.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the second week of August resulted in the Skunk River at Augusta going above the moderate flood stage level of 17 feet on August 13 around 2 pm CDT. It crested above the major flood stage level around 23.3 feet around 1 pm CDT August 16.
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 →Flash flooding was caused by 4 to 5 inches of rain in 1 to 2 hours, which resulted in extensive damage to roads, bridges and farm fields. Hardest hit were areas from Edgewood toward Millville.
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 →Strong thunderstorms formed over central Iowa during the morning hours of the 4th. The ground was already quite saturated, resulting in rapid runoff of the heavy rainfall. Rainfall for the most part ranged from 1 to 3 inches in a short period of time.
Read the full account →Heavy rainfall took place over southern Iowa with over an inch of rainfall occurring on already moist antecedent soil conditions. The Chariton River had two relatively minor crests between the 8th and the 14th.
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