4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
Heavy rains during the second and third weeks of June resulted in the Skunk River at Augusta going above the moderate flood stage level of 17 feet on June 14 around 2 pm. It crested above the major flood stage around 21.6 feet around 1 am June 22.
Read the full account →A second consecutive night of flash flooding affected much of northeast Iowa, when rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches occurred in three hours. Law enforcement officials reported water 3 feet deep covering roads in Arlington (Fayette County) and McGregor (Clayton County).
Read the full account →A second consecutive night of flash flooding affected much of northeast Iowa, when rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches occurred in three hours. Law enforcement officials reported water 3 feet deep covering roads in Arlington (Fayette County) and McGregor (Clayton County).
Read the full account →A weak shortwave passed across the area, coincident with a low level plume of moisture. Moderate instability was in place with CAPE around 1500 J/kg but very weak flow and shear. While this meant that storms generally remained sub severe, the storms were also slow moving.
Read the full account →A weak shortwave passed across the area, coincident with a low level plume of moisture. Moderate instability was in place with CAPE around 1500 J/kg but very weak flow and shear. While this meant that storms generally remained sub severe, the storms were also slow moving.
Read the full account →Heavy rainfall throughout June led to many locations along the Mississippi River in northeast Iowa to enter flood stage which persisted into July.
Read the full account →Heavy rainfall throughout June led to many locations along the Mississippi River in northeast Iowa to enter flood stage which persisted into July.
Read the full account →Scattered thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours produced pockets of heavy rainfall and very efficient rainfall rates. This resulted in localized flash flooding reports across far southeast South Dakota, far northeast Nebraska, and northwest Iowa.
Read the full account →Heavy rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches, with locally higher amounts, occurred across portions of southern Minnesota from September 14 through September 15. This caused significant flooding on the Cedar River in northeast Iowa.
Read the full account →Thunderstorms developed along a cold front and swept across northeast Iowa for the second consecutive night. These storms brought additional heavy rains producing more flooding problems on July 23rd into the 24th.
Read the full account →An upper level disturbance that lifted across the Rockies and into the Dakotas sent a cold front across eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa during the late evening and overnight hours of June 26th and 27th.
Read the full account →Water continued to flow at above normal levels through the Des Moines River system. In addition, another round of heavy rainfall moved through Iowa, especially the water soaked southern half. Flooding took place on several streams across the south.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the third week of June resulted in the Iowa River at Lone Tree going above the moderate flood stage level of 16.5 feet on June 16 around 12 am. It crested around 17.0 feet around 11 am June 16. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 930 pm June 16.
Read the full account →Thunderstorms developed along a cold front and swept across northeast Iowa for the second consecutive night. These storms brought additional heavy rains producing more flooding problems on July 23rd into the 24th.
Read the full account →A surface low with an attendant warm front moved across eastern Iowa into northwest Illinois. This low system brought widespread showers and thunderstorms to the area. Overall widespread rainfall of 1 to 3 inches fell.
Read the full account →A surface low with an attendant warm front moved across eastern Iowa into northwest Illinois. This low system brought widespread showers and thunderstorms to the area. Overall widespread rainfall of 1 to 3 inches fell.
Read the full account →Localized heavy rain of 3 plus inches fell in the headwaters of Pioneer Creek southwest of Olin, Iowa with Mechanicsville, Iowa reporting 2.82 inches between 0600 and 0745 LST.
Read the full account →The Upper Iowa River rose quickly after flooding rains fell across northeast Iowa. The river crested at 17.53 feet, more than 3 feet above flood stage, at Dorchester (Allamakee County).
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the second week of June resulted in the Des Moines River at St. Francisville going above the major flood stage level of 25 feet on June 14 around 1221 pm CDT. It crested around 26 feet around 7 am CDT June 15.
Read the full account →Thunderstorms with heavy rain were triggered by an upper level disturbance moving across Iowa toward northern Illinois. Excessive rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches occurred during the late night of April 24 into the early morning of April 25, which caused flash flooding.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the fourth week of July resulted in the Wapsipinicon River at De Witt going above the moderate flood stage level of 11.5 feet on July 28 around 1 pm CDT. It crested around 13.5 feet around 1 am CDT July 30.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the second week of July resulted in the Wapsipinicon River near De Witt rising above the moderate flood stage level of 11.5 feet on July 12 around 1 pm CDT. It crested around 12.9 feet around 7 pm CDT July 14.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the second week of July resulted in the Wapsipinicon River near De Witt rising above the moderate flood stage level of 11.5 feet on July 12 around 1 pm CDT. It crested around 12.9 feet around 7 pm CDT July 14.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the fourth week of July resulted in the Wapsipinicon River at De Witt going above the moderate flood stage level of 11.5 feet on July 28 around 1 pm CDT. It crested around 13.5 feet around 1 am CDT July 30.
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