4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
A warm front was located to the south of Iowa during the day on the 26th. A steady flow of moisture impinged on the front through the day. Precipitable water values increased to 1.5 to 1.7 inches during the day. Very little shear was present, under 20 kts.
Read the full account →For the second day in a row, thunderstorms with heavy rain moved across northeast Iowa. A round of storms developed during the early morning hours of June 19th along a warm front and then a second round developed during the afternoon ahead of an approaching cold front.
Read the full account →For the second day in a row, thunderstorms with heavy rain moved across northeast Iowa. A round of storms developed during the early morning hours of June 19th along a warm front and then a second round developed during the afternoon ahead of an approaching cold front.
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 →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 →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 →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 →A considerable amount of snow had accumulated during the previous winter across northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. As the snow melted, river levels rose across northern Iowa with numerous sites reaching minor to moderate flood levels.
Read the full account →A considerable amount of snow had accumulated during the previous winter across northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. As the snow melted, river levels rose across northern Iowa with numerous sites reaching minor to moderate flood levels.
Read the full account →A considerable amount of snow had accumulated during the previous winter across northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. As the snow melted, river levels rose across northern Iowa with numerous sites reaching minor to moderate flood levels.
Read the full account →As has been the case in recent months, Iowa saw many large variations in temperature. The first six days of the month were much cooler than usual with temperatures falling to 20�� at Sibley and Spencer on the 3rd.
Read the full account →As has been the case in recent months, Iowa saw many large variations in temperature. The first six days of the month were much cooler than usual with temperatures falling to 20�� at Sibley and Spencer on the 3rd.
Read the full account →As has been the case in recent months, Iowa saw many large variations in temperature. The first six days of the month were much cooler than usual with temperatures falling to 20�� at Sibley and Spencer on the 3rd.
Read the full account →As has been the case in recent months, Iowa saw many large variations in temperature. The first six days of the month were much cooler than usual with temperatures falling to 20�� at Sibley and Spencer on the 3rd.
Read the full account →A record rain event in May in eastern Montana combined with high water from other storms in April and May, plus snow melt from a much above normal snow pack, to bring record high water to the Missouri River chain of reservoirs by late Spring.
Read the full account →A record rain event in May in eastern Montana combined with other storms in April and May plus early spring snow melt and brought record high water to the Missouri River chain of reservoirs.
Read the full account →For the second day in a row, thunderstorms with heavy rain moved across northeast Iowa. A round of storms developed during the early morning hours of June 19th along a warm front and then a second round developed during the afternoon ahead of an approaching cold front.
Read the full account →An upper level storm system moved across the high Plains during the afternoon on Tuesday June 3rd, and then across the mid Missouri River Valley on Tuesday night.
Read the full account →Heavy rains during the second week of August resulted in the Iowa River at Marengo going above the moderate flood stage level of 15.5 feet on August 11th around 3 pm CDT. It crested around 15.8 feet around 7 pm CDT August 12.
Read the full account →Ice jams continued along the lower reaches of the Raccoon River. A major ice jam, 12 miles in length, began at the 63rd street bridge in West Des Moines. The river went sligtly above flood stage there before it broke free.
Read the full account →Continuing from what occurred during the afternoon, thunderstorms expanded over northern Iowa. What occurred as the storms over the north central counties drifted north was a merger of two areas.
Read the full account →A relatively small mesoscale convective system drifted into Iowa from the southwest during the morning of the 5th. No severe weather occurred in the state, but a steady and heavy rain did. Flash flooding was reported in Cass County with many roads and highways under water.
Read the full account →Once again, a warm frontal boundary was located to the south of Iowa with very warm and unstable air just to the south of the front. Dew point temperatures were in the low 70s in the warm air. This moisture was drawn north over the frontal boundary, into Iowa.
Read the full account →Very warm and humid air was in place over Iowa in advance of an approaching frontal system. Dew point temperatures were approaching 80 degrees F. over a large part of Iowa. Initially, a line of thunderstorms developed from southwest Minnesota, southwest into Nebraska.
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