4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
A weak warm air advection pattern was in place across Iowa. Precipitable water values had increased to 1.6 inches over southern Iowa by early afternoon. An area of thunderstorms formed in a weakly sheared environment. The CAPE was around 1000 J/kg, with shear around 25 kts.
Read the full account →A very unstable airmass was in place over Iowa. The stationary front that had been south of the state over the past several days began to lift north and extended from southwest into east central Iowa on the afternoon of the 28th.
Read the full account →A strong warm front was in place across central Nebraska through northern Missouri. The front aloft bisected Iowa from northwest to southeast. A 35 kt low level jet was in place with strong moisture transport into the state.
Read the full account →A warm front moved slowly north into Iowa during the overnight hours of the 28th into the 29th. The airmass became unstable as surface temperatures warmed into the low 80s, with dewpoints around 70 along and south of the front.
Read the full account →The continued series of thunderstorms moved across Iowa during the afternoon of the 26th and through the overnight hours of the 26th into the 27th. A stationary front remained in place from central Nebraska into northern Missouri.
Read the full account →A warm front moved slowly north into Iowa during the overnight hours of the 28th into the 29th. The airmass became unstable as surface temperatures warmed into the low 80s, with dewpoints around 70 along and south of the front.
Read the full account →The continued series of thunderstorms moved across Iowa during the afternoon of the 26th and through the overnight hours of the 26th into the 27th. A stationary front remained in place from central Nebraska into northern Missouri.
Read the full account →A large convective complex developed to the northwest of Iowa during the night of the 12th into the morning of the 13th. Precipitable water values were very high, in excess of 2.1 inches over Minnesota.
Read the full account →A warm front moved slowly north into Iowa during the overnight hours of the 28th into the 29th. The airmass became unstable as surface temperatures warmed into the low 80s, with dewpoints around 70 along and south of the front.
Read the full account →On the afternoon of the 25th, a cold front progressed into portions of central and eastern Nebraska and eventually stalled out in eastern Nebraska.
Read the full account →On the afternoon of the 25th, a cold front progressed into portions of central and eastern Nebraska and eventually stalled out in eastern Nebraska.
Read the full account →A complex of storms worked their way across Nebraska overnight on the 18th into the 19th, eventually making their way into Iowa. As those elevated storms approached the central third of Iowa, the linear storms began to backbuild and with increasing convection behind them in…
Read the full account →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…
Read the full account →After a brief lull from the rain on the 12th, a large mesoscale convective system developed near the center of an upper level low pressure center over southwest Iowa during the early morning hours of the 14th.
Read the full account →Serious flooding took place along the Turkey and Volga River, causing considerable damage to homes, businesses and crops. In fact, Clayton and Fayette County were both declared federal disaster areas.
Read the full account →Serious flooding took place along the Turkey and Volga River, causing considerable damage to homes, businesses and crops. In fact, Clayton and Fayette County were both declared federal disaster areas.
Read the full account →The combination of snow melt runoff and heavy rains caused the Mississippi River to rise to levels second only to the all-time record flood of April 1965. At Lansing (Allamakee County), the river crested at 19.9 feet on April 21.
Read the full account →The storm track shifted a bit further north in June, keeping the excessive rains confined to about the northeast one-third of the state. The month���s largest event|came from the 21st to the 23rd with Dorchester recording 8.99 inches of rain.
Read the full account →A very unstable airmass was in place over Iowa. The stationary front that had been south of the state over the past several days began to lift north and extended from southwest into east central Iowa on the afternoon of the 28th.
Read the full account →A warm front moved slowly north into Iowa during the overnight hours of the 28th into the 29th. The airmass became unstable as surface temperatures warmed into the low 80s, with dewpoints around 70 along and south of the front.
Read the full account →The continued series of thunderstorms moved across Iowa during the afternoon of the 26th and through the overnight hours of the 26th into the 27th. A stationary front remained in place from central Nebraska into northern Missouri.
Read the full account →The continued series of thunderstorms moved across Iowa during the afternoon of the 26th and through the overnight hours of the 26th into the 27th. A stationary front remained in place from central Nebraska into northern Missouri.
Read the full account →May 2013 was a wet month across the state. The heavy rainfall brought relief across the state from the drought of the preceding year. The month began with a May record snow event. Snow began in northwest Iowa early on the morning of the 1st with six inches reported at Sibley.
Read the full account →May 2013 was a wet month across the state. The heavy rainfall brought relief across the state from the drought of the preceding year. The month began with a May record snow event. Snow began in northwest Iowa early on the morning of the 1st with six inches reported at Sibley.
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