Flood in Iowa, August 4 to 5, 1996

Name: Flood in Iowa, August 4 to 5, 1996
Start: 1996-08-04T19:30
End: 1996-08-05T00:15
Location: Iowa

August 4 to 5, 1996 · NWS DMX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A line of heavy thunderstorms developed over west central into northwest Iowa. Though no severe weather was reported, heavy rainfall occurred.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $75,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.

A line of heavy thunderstorms developed over west central into northwest Iowa. Though no severe weather was reported, heavy rainfall occurred. The thunderstorms "trained" over the same areas for several hours, dropping up to 3 inches of rain per hour at times. During the period from 1700 CST to 1930 CST, four to five inches of rain fell over much of Sac and Pocahontas Counties. In spite of the heavy rainfall, flooding was limited to urban and small stream flooding. Damage was relatively minor, and mostly due to flooded basements.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Sac

When: August 4, 7:30 PM CST to August 5, 12:15 AM CST
Where: Sac County, Sac City
Property damage: $75,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.386, -95.105 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, August 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5557627.