Iowa, 1996

Flood in Iowa, May 9 to 10, 1996

May 9 to 10, 1996 · NWS DMX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

As the night progressed, the area of thunderstorms continued to expand. Additional rains of 1 to 2 inches in an hour or two fell on Mahaska County, causing flooding there.

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.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
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.

As the night progressed, the area of thunderstorms continued to expand. Additional rains of 1 to 2 inches in an hour or two fell on Mahaska County, causing flooding there. In additional, the quick 1 to 3 inch rains mentioned previous over central Iowa spread into Poweshiek and Marion Counties causing the urban and small stream area to expand into those counties as well.

The radar

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

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Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Poweshiek

When
May 9, 11:30 PM CST to May 10, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Poweshiek County, Montezuma
Property damage
$50,000
Coordinates
41.686, -92.531 (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

More

Every storm in Iowa in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5544259.