4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
Moisture was drawn north into Iowa during the overnight hours of the 6th into the 7th. The freezing level rose to around 14,500 feet as precipitable water rose to 1.5 to 2 inches.
Read the full account →A strong push of moisture moved into the central U.S. during the morning of the 25th. A MCC formed over Nebraska and advanced east-northeast into Iowa. Precipitable water increased to around 1.7 inches by sunrise, which was about 2 sigma above climatology.
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 seasons first major severe weather event took place as a strong upper level low pressure lifted north into the central U.S. This was ahead of a strong upper level low pressure system over the southwest U.S.
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 →Though precipitation in Iowa during the month o February was light, scattered flooding was obseved in Iowa for the first time since July of 1995. All of the flooding resulted from significant melting of the extensive snow cover in Iowa between the 7th and the 10th of the month.
Read the full account →As the flooding from earlier in the month receded, rapid snowmelt made its presence known again over the upper portions of the Des Moines River basin in southwest Minnesota.
Read the full account →A complex weather situation was set up over the central U.S. as a mesoscale convective system passed to the south of Iowa during the overnight hours and early morning of the 29th. Initially, the surface warm front was located to the south of this system.
Read the full account →A complex weather situation unfolded over Iowa. Initially, a stationary front was located to the south of the state. An upper low pressure system was poised to the southwest of Iowa and began to lift out.
Read the full account →A complex weather situation was set up over the central U.S. as a mesoscale convective system passed to the south of Iowa during the overnight hours and early morning of the 29th. Initially, the surface warm front was located to the south of this system.
Read the full account →A complex weather situation was set up over the central U.S. as a mesoscale convective system passed to the south of Iowa during the overnight hours and early morning of the 29th. Initially, the surface warm front was located to the south of this system.
Read the full account →A complex weather situation was set up over the central U.S. as a mesoscale convective system passed to the south of Iowa during the overnight hours and early morning of the 29th. Initially, the surface warm front was located to the south of this system.
Read the full account →A southeast flow of moist air was in place over Iowa. This flow brought moisture north with surface dew point temperatures rising into the low to mid 50s. Lapse rates were steep with the freezing level only around 9000 feet.
Read the full account →A southeast flow of moist air was in place over Iowa. This flow brought moisture north with surface dew point temperatures rising into the low to mid 50s. Lapse rates were steep with the freezing level only around 9000 feet.
Read the full account →A southeast flow of moist air was in place over Iowa. This flow brought moisture north with surface dew point temperatures rising into the low to mid 50s. Lapse rates were steep with the freezing level only around 9000 feet.
Read the full account →A southeast flow of moist air was in place over Iowa. This flow brought moisture north with surface dew point temperatures rising into the low to mid 50s. Lapse rates were steep with the freezing level only around 9000 feet.
Read the full account →A cold front to the west of Iowa moved into the state during the day. Initially, the airmass was quite capped and thunderstorms had a hard time getting going.
Read the full account →For the most part, July was a welcome end to the very wet pattern that dominated Iowa during the month of June. However, during the first week of the month the wet pattern of June did continue.
Read the full account →For the most part, July was a welcome end to the very wet pattern that dominated Iowa during the month of June. However, during the first week of the month the wet pattern of June did continue.
Read the full account →For the most part, July was a welcome end to the very wet pattern that dominated Iowa during the month of June. However, during the first week of the month the wet pattern of June did continue.
Read the full account →For the most part, July was a welcome end to the very wet pattern that dominated Iowa during the month of June. However, during the first week of the month the wet pattern of June did continue.
Read the full account →A warm and humid air mass was located over Iowa during the afternoon of the 19th. Temperatures in this air were around 90 degrees F. Dew point temperatures were in the low to mid 70s, making for an unstable situation.
Read the full account →A cold front to the west of Iowa moved into the state during the day. Initially, the airmass was quite capped and thunderstorms had a hard time getting going.
Read the full account →June of 1998 was an extremely active month in hydrology across the entire Des Moines HSA. Both flooding and flash flooding were widespread with near record crests recorded on many rivers. These crests reviled the great floods of 1993.
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