4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
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.
Read the full account →A warm front extended from a low pressure area over northeast Nebraska, southeast through central into southeast Iowa. A cold front extended south from the low into Kansas. South of the warm front, dew point temperatures were in the low 70s.
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 →Iowa was located in the warm sector of a developing storm system to the west. The warm front had moved to the northern Iowa border during the afternoon of the 27th with dew point temperatures in the mid 70s to around 80 blanketing the state in the warm sector.
Read the full account →As was mentioned above, the weather pattern was very active over the central U.S. A cold front had become stationary to the west of Iowa during the afternoon of the 16th. This set the stage for a serious weather situation. During the afternoon, 70 degree F.
Read the full account →As was mentioned above, the weather pattern was very active over the central U.S. A cold front had become stationary to the west of Iowa during the afternoon of the 16th. This set the stage for a serious weather situation. During the afternoon, 70 degree F.
Read the full account →The weather situation once again was set up for a heavy rain event as had been the case during the previous several nights. During the late afternoon a weak low pressure was centred over northeast Nebraska with a stationary front extending through Sioux City through Fort Dodge…
Read the full account →Another round of convection developed over Iowa during the afternoon hours as warm and unstable air was drawn north over the top of the outflow boundary left behind from convection during the mid day hours. Very heavy rain fell along the arc of the outflow boundary.
Read the full account →A major wind and significant flash flooding event took shape across Iowa during the afternoon and evening of the 25th. A dynamic upper level system approached Iowa from the northwest during the afternoon.
Read the full account →A major wind and significant flash flooding event took shape across Iowa during the afternoon and evening of the 25th. A dynamic upper level system approached Iowa from the northwest during the afternoon.
Read the full account →A nearly stationary frontal boundary was located to the north of Iowa during the day on the 9th. Very rich air was pumped north into the state with surface dew point temperatures reaching the mid 70s to low 80s by the late afternoon and evening hours.
Read the full account →A nearly stationary frontal boundary was located to the north of Iowa during the day on the 9th. Very rich air was pumped north into the state with surface dew point temperatures reaching the mid 70s to low 80s by the late afternoon and evening hours.
Read the full account →A nearly stationary frontal boundary was located to the north of Iowa during the day on the 9th. Very rich air was pumped north into the state with surface dew point temperatures reaching the mid 70s to low 80s by the late afternoon and evening hours.
Read the full account →A strong upper level ridge of high pressure developed over the Rockies during the previous several days. The weather pattern became a pattern more typical of July and early August rather than May as convection became established in the classic "ring of fire" configuration.
Read the full account →A nearly stationary front extended west-southwest to east-northeast across Iowa. Thunderstorms fired repeatedly along this front during the night of the 1st into the morning of the 2nd.
Read the full account →A line of thunderstorms formed over north central Iowa and dropped south. The storms were very elevated in nature and many produced pea to marble size hail and brief heavy rainfall. One of the cells became severe as it moved south to the west of Fort Dodge.
Read the full account →In a weather pattern similar to the previous day, isolated thunderstorms developed around the state. A light southerly flow was in place with wind speeds at the 850 MB level were around 10 kts.
Read the full account →In a weather pattern similar to the previous day, isolated thunderstorms developed around the state. A light southerly flow was in place with wind speeds at the 850 MB level were around 10 kts.
Read the full account →This was the 9th and final severe weather episode that concluded an active 6 day period across Eastern Iowa, Northern Illinois, and Northeast Missouri.
Read the full account →A very unstable airmass was over Iowa and helped kick off the seasons first severe weather outbreak. At the surface a warm frontal boundary extended nearly east to west across the state and provided the focus for thunderstorm development.
Read the full account →A very unstable airmass was over Iowa and helped kick off the seasons first severe weather outbreak. At the surface a warm frontal boundary extended nearly east to west across the state and provided the focus for thunderstorm development.
Read the full account →A warm, moist, and unstable airmass was in place over Iowa. The warm front that had produced the convection during the early morning hours of the 8th had become stationary over northern Iowa. With lifted indices below -10 C.
Read the full account →A very unstable airmass was over Iowa and helped kick off the seasons first severe weather outbreak. At the surface a warm frontal boundary extended nearly east to west across the state and provided the focus for thunderstorm development.
Read the full account →The synoptic situation was very similar to what it was the previous day. A complex weather situation was in place due to the convection from the previous night. An outflow boundary extended east to west across northern Missouri.
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