Flooding in Iowa, May 26 to 31, 1996

Name: Flooding in Iowa, May 26 to 31, 1996
Start: 1996-05-26T12:00
End: 1996-05-31T23:59
Location: Iowa

May 26 to 31, 1996 · NWS DMX · 24 events in 24 counties and zones

Another round of mesoscale convective complexes rolled through the state during the final week of the month. Some areas received several inches of rain over a 2 night period.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 24 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $400,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Events: 24

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.

Another round of mesoscale convective complexes rolled through the state during the final week of the month. Some areas received several inches of rain over a 2 night period. Flooding became more widespread as monthly totals exceeded 10 inches at many locations. Rivers flooded across most locations across the south third of the state, with flooding being more scattered across the rest of the south half. Agricultural flooding became more of a problem as most of the seasons crops had been planted. With the flooding lasting several days, fields were drown out by the flood waters.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

24 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Audubon

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Audubon forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.906 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Guthrie

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Guthrie forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.684, -94.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dallas

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Polk

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.686, -93.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Jasper

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jasper forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.686, -93.054 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Poweshiek

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Poweshiek forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.686, -92.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Cass

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.332, -94.928 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Adair

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Adair forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.331, -94.471 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Madison

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.331, -94.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Warren

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Marion

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.099 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Mahaska

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Mahaska forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.335, -92.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Adams

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.029, -94.699 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Union

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.028, -94.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Clarke

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Clarke forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.029, -93.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Lucas

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lucas forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.029, -93.328 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Monroe

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.030, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Wapello

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wapello forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.031, -92.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Taylor

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Taylor forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.737, -94.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Ringgold

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ringgold forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.735, -94.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Decatur

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Decatur forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.738, -93.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Wayne

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.740, -93.327 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Appanoose

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Appanoose forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.743, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Davis

When: May 26, 12:00 PM CST to May 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Davis forecast zone
Property damage: $400,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 40.748, -92.410 (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, May 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: 5544704, 5544705, 5544706, 5544707, 5544708, 5544709, 5544710, 5544711, 5544712, 5544713, 5544714, 5544715, 5544716, 5544717, 5544718, 5544719, 5544720, 5544721, 5544722, 5544723, 5544724, 5544725, 5544726, 5544871.