4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
Deep moisture moved into Iowa as a strong shortwave moved into the central U.S. Moisture from former hurricane Norbert moved into the central U.S. as a low pressure system developed over Kansas.
Read the full account →Deep moisture moved into Iowa as a strong shortwave moved into the central U.S. Moisture from former hurricane Norbert moved into the central U.S. as a low pressure system developed over Kansas.
Read the full account →Upper level low pressure was located over the southwest U.S. with surface low pressure located over central Nebraska. A warm front extended east from the low across Iowa.
Read the full account →A very dynamic weather pattern was in place over the central U.S. on the 3rd. A strong short wave moved out of the Rockies onto the Plains during the day. Thunderstorms formed early in Nebraska and South Dakota.
Read the full account →Low pressure over Kansas moved northeast during the afternoon of the 11th into the morning of the 12th. By dawn on the 12th, the low was over northeast Kansas. A cold frontal boundary extended northeast from the low into northwest Iowa.
Read the full account →During the day on the 15th, much of Iowa found itself firmly in the warm sector with a warm front/stationary front eventually settling across northern Iowa.
Read the full account →An unstable airmass was in place across Iowa with afternoon highs reaching well into the 80s, and dewpoint readings in the low to mid 70s. CAPE rose to 2000 to 3000 J/kg.
Read the full account →Deep moisture moved into Iowa as a strong shortwave moved into the central U.S. Moisture from former hurricane Norbert moved into the central U.S. as a low pressure system developed over Kansas.
Read the full account →Deep moisture moved into Iowa as a strong shortwave moved into the central U.S. Moisture from former hurricane Norbert moved into the central U.S. as a low pressure system developed over Kansas.
Read the full account →Deep moisture moved into Iowa as a strong shortwave moved into the central U.S. Moisture from former hurricane Norbert moved into the central U.S. as a low pressure system developed over Kansas.
Read the full account →Deep moisture moved into Iowa as a strong shortwave moved into the central U.S. Moisture from former hurricane Norbert moved into the central U.S. as a low pressure system developed over Kansas.
Read the full account →Deep moisture moved into Iowa as a strong shortwave moved into the central U.S. Moisture from former hurricane Norbert moved into the central U.S. as a low pressure system developed over Kansas.
Read the full account →Deep moisture moved into Iowa as a strong shortwave moved into the central U.S. Moisture from former hurricane Norbert moved into the central U.S. as a low pressure system developed over Kansas.
Read the full account →Deep moisture moved into Iowa as a strong shortwave moved into the central U.S. Moisture from former hurricane Norbert moved into the central U.S. as a low pressure system developed over Kansas.
Read the full account →The season's first strong synoptic weather system moved through the central U.S. on the 13th into the 14th. The storm developed over the southern U.S. and moved from Oklahoma on the 13th into Illinois on the morning of the 14th.
Read the full account →A strong low pressure system moved across the Midwest Feb. 20 bringing showers and scattered thunderstorms to Eastern Iowa, Northwest Illinois, and Northeast Missouri. Some of the storms were severe producing damaging winds and large hail.
Read the full account →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.
Read the full account →A strong upper level system combined with a warm front located to the south of Iowa set the stage for a major flood event. Iowa soils were already saturated before the event took began. The severe thunderstorms mentioned above were only the beginning.
Read the full account →An unstable airmass was in place over Iowa with CAPE over 2000 J/kg already by early in the morning. Downdraft CAPE was quite high, in the 1000 to 1300 J/kg range, with 400 to 600 J/kg in the -10 to -30 C layer of the atmosphere.
Read the full account →A low pressure area tracked east out of South Dakota during the afternoon and evening. A warm front extending from the low across west central into southeast Iowa lifted north with thunderstorm development during the afternoon.
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 →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 →A strong storm system developed over the southern Rockies during the early morning hours of the 17th. A strong frontal boundary extended from the low, northeast across Iowa. A 50 kt low level jet developed during the predawn hours.
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 →