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Iowa Flood Stories

4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.

Flood$250K damage

Dallas, IA · Aug 31, 2015

In the hours after midnight on the 28th a low pressure system was over portions of central/eastern Nebraska moving toward Iowa. A warm front extended east out of the surface low into southern Iowa.

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Flood$250K damage

Story, IA · Aug 29, 2015

In the hours after midnight on the 28th a low pressure system was over portions of central/eastern Nebraska moving toward Iowa. A warm front extended east out of the surface low into southern Iowa.

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Flood$250K damage

Story, IA · Aug 29, 2015

In the hours after midnight on the 28th a low pressure system was over portions of central/eastern Nebraska moving toward Iowa. A warm front extended east out of the surface low into southern Iowa.

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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.

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Flood$250K damage

Adams, 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.

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Flood$25K damage

Wright, IA · Sep 20, 2018

More heavy rainfall was seen across the area, primarily situated over the northern third of the state, as a surface boundary sat across central Iowa and a shortwave moved through the upper level flow.

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Flash Flood$500K damage

Emmet, IA · Jun 19, 2014

The weather pattern changed only slightly from the day before. A strong upper level trough was in place to the west of Iowa with the surface low and cold front near the western Iowa border, and the warm front bisecting the state.

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Flash Flood$500K damage

Cerro Gordo, IA · Aug 23, 2014

A very moist airmass was in place with warm cloud depths near 4.5 km. Precipitable water values were in the 2.2 to 2.4 inch range over a large part of Iowa. A thunderstorm complex formed over eastern Nebraska during the evening of the 22nd.

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Bremer, IA · Jul 22, 2017

A weak semi-stationary boundary remained draped across Iowa in the overnight hours of the 20th into the 21st, which acted as a focus for initial storm development. Storms early in the evening moved off to the southeast and was relatively quiet until the low level jet kicked in.

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Bremer, IA · Jul 22, 2017

A weak semi-stationary boundary remained draped across Iowa in the overnight hours of the 20th into the 21st, which acted as a focus for initial storm development. Storms early in the evening moved off to the southeast and was relatively quiet until the low level jet kicked in.

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Flash Flood

Howard, IA · Jun 9, 2020

Heavy rains from Tropical Depression Cristobal fell across northeast Iowa on June 9th. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches were common with locally higher totals of 4 to 5 inches. This heavy rain created flash flooding across portions of Fayette, Chickasaw and Howard Counties.

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Flash Flood

Chickasaw, IA · Jun 9, 2020

Heavy rains from Tropical Depression Cristobal fell across northeast Iowa on June 9th. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches were common with locally higher totals of 4 to 5 inches. This heavy rain created flash flooding across portions of Fayette, Chickasaw and Howard Counties.

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Flood$5.0M damage

Monona, IA · Aug 1, 2011

A record rain event in May in eastern Montana combined with high water from storms in April and May, plus snow melt from a much above normal snow pack, all contributed to bring record high water to the Missouri River chain of reservoirs by late Spring.

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Flood$5.0M damage

Pottawattamie, IA · Aug 1, 2011

A record rain event in May in eastern Montana combined with high water from storms in April and May, plus snow melt from a much above normal snow pack, all contributed to bring record high water to the Missouri River chain of reservoirs by late Spring.

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Flood$5.0M damage

Mills, IA · Aug 1, 2011

A record rain event in May in eastern Montana combined with high water from storms in April and May, plus snow melt from a much above normal snow pack, all contributed to bring record high water to the Missouri River chain of reservoirs by late Spring.

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Flash Flood$100K damage

Cerro Gordo, IA · Sep 21, 2016

An ideal setup was seen across northern and central Iowa for repeated rounds of heavy rainfall and severe weather. A weak warm frontal boundary stalled out across the area as it transitioned to a stationary boundary and allowed multiple rounds of storms to initiate on the 21st…

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Flash Flood$10K damage

Union, IA · Jun 25, 2019

During the evening of the 25th, a number of storms were able to initiate along a relatively stationary boundary situated across southern Iowa. On the warm side of the boundary surface conditions were in the mid 80s for temperature and upper 60s to low 70s dewpoints.

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Flash Flood$10K damage

Adams, IA · Jun 25, 2019

During the evening of the 25th, a number of storms were able to initiate along a relatively stationary boundary situated across southern Iowa. On the warm side of the boundary surface conditions were in the mid 80s for temperature and upper 60s to low 70s dewpoints.

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Flash Flood$10K damage

Humboldt, IA · Jul 4, 2019

Similar to recent days, the atmosphere was highly unstable with SB/MUCAPE values in excess of 3000 J/kg, but was devoid of large scale forcing and ability to organize any storms.

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Flash Flood$10K damage

Taylor, IA · May 28, 2019

The hits just kept on rolling, with yet another pair of rounds of strong to severe storms, heavy rainfall, and flooding. Through much of the end of May, the synoptic setup across the region remained relatively unchanged, including this event.

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Flash Flood$10K damage

Wapello, IA · May 28, 2019

The hits just kept on rolling, with yet another pair of rounds of strong to severe storms, heavy rainfall, and flooding. Through much of the end of May, the synoptic setup across the region remained relatively unchanged, including this event.

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Flash Flood$10K damage

Wayne, IA · May 28, 2019

The hits just kept on rolling, with yet another pair of rounds of strong to severe storms, heavy rainfall, and flooding. Through much of the end of May, the synoptic setup across the region remained relatively unchanged, including this event.

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Flash Flood$10K damage

Monroe, IA · May 28, 2019

The hits just kept on rolling, with yet another pair of rounds of strong to severe storms, heavy rainfall, and flooding. Through much of the end of May, the synoptic setup across the region remained relatively unchanged, including this event.

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Flash Flood$10K damage

Monroe, IA · May 28, 2019

The hits just kept on rolling, with yet another pair of rounds of strong to severe storms, heavy rainfall, and flooding. Through much of the end of May, the synoptic setup across the region remained relatively unchanged, including this event.

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