4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
A very active weather pattern was in place over the central U.S. A strong west-northwest wind flow was in place over the state. Meanwhile a warm front was lifting north from the southern Plains.
Read the full account →A nearly stationary frontal boundary was draped across Iowa during the afternoon of the 18th into the night. Thunderstorms erupted in the vicinity of the front as dew point temperatures in the mid 70s to around 80 pooled just south of front.
Read the full account →A warm front extended east to west across the Upper Mississippi Valley on June 7, which provided the focus for thunderstorms producing excessive rainfall. In fact, these storms exhibited very high rainfall rates, which led to 1 to 2 inch rainfall amounts in an hour.
Read the full account →A warm front extended east to west across the Upper Mississippi Valley on June 7, which provided the focus for thunderstorms producing excessive rainfall. In fact, these storms exhibited very high rainfall rates, which led to 1 to 2 inch rainfall amounts in an hour.
Read the full account →A very moist airmass remained in place over Iowa. Precipitable water values were near 2.25 inches when a wave of low pressure moved northeast along a stalled front to the south of the state.
Read the full account →An area of showers and thunderstorms developed over portions of western and central Iowa during the evening of August 2 and moved into eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois during the early morning of August 3.
Read the full account →The nearly stationary frontal boundary that had plagued Iowa for the previous couple days remained in place, setting the stage for strong thunderstorm development to the north of the front.
Read the full account →A very unstable atmosphere was in place over Iowa with CAPE values around 2000 J/kg and lifted indices in the -8 to -10 C range. Precipitable water increased to around 2.25 inches along a boundary that extended from northeast into west central Iowa.
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 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 →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 →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 →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 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 →Low pressure moved northeast out of north central Kansas into central Iowa by mid day on the 12th, then into northern Illinois by evening. A strong push of very warm and humid air pushed into the state south of the warm front extending east from the low.
Read the full account →Low pressure moved northeast out of north central Kansas into central Iowa by mid day on the 12th, then into northern Illinois by evening. A strong push of very warm and humid air pushed into the state south of the warm front extending east from the low.
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 →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 →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 →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 →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…
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