Flooding in Iowa, February 18 to 24, 1997

Name: Flooding in Iowa, February 18 to 24, 1997
Start: 1997-02-18T18:00
End: 1997-02-24T06:00
Location: Iowa

February 18 to 24, 1997 · NWS DMX · 37 events in 37 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 37 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: $750,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 37

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.

Iowa was under a deep snow pack with water equivalents ranging from around an inch over the south third of the state to around 5 inches across the north. A strong warming trend took place as cold air over Iowa was replaces with Chinook air from the Rockies. Rapid melting of the snow pack took place with as much as 11 inches melting in just one day on the 19th. Though the warming began on the 18th, the bulk of the melt took place the next day. Early in the flooding event, flooding was caused as ice choked rivers were unable to handle runoff. Flooding took place in the upper reaches of many of the states rivers. By the afternoon of the 19th, flooding was taking place along many of the mainstem rivers. The most significant flooding was along the Iowa River, where the river crested nearly 4 feet over flood stage. This flooded a considerable amount of low land area and closed several county roads. Ice jams caused problems resulting in closed roads at many locations around the state. To further agrivate the situation, rain began falling ove the southeast third of the state on the 20th. The heaviest fall during the night of the 20th and early morning of the 21st. As much as two and one half inches fell over the far south. Most areas received around an inch. Flooding continued over the weekend, however with the passage of a cold front and sub-freezing temperatures, flooding gradually abated on the 23rd and 24th.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

37 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Calhoun

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Calhoun forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.385, -94.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Webster

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.428, -94.182 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Hamilton

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Hardin

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Hardin forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Grundy

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Grundy forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.402, -92.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Black Hawk

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Black Hawk forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.470, -92.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Crawford

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Crawford forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.037, -95.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Carroll

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.861 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Greene

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Boone

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.037, -93.932 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Story

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Story forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.036, -93.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Marshall

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.036, -92.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Tama

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Tama forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.080, -92.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Audubon

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Audubon forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.906 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Guthrie

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Guthrie forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.684, -94.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dallas

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Polk

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.686, -93.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Jasper

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Jasper forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.686, -93.054 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Poweshiek

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Poweshiek forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.686, -92.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Cass

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.332, -94.928 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Adair

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Adair forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.331, -94.471 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Madison

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.331, -94.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Warren

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Marion

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.099 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Mahaska

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Mahaska forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.335, -92.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Adams

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.029, -94.699 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Union

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.028, -94.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Clarke

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Clarke forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.029, -93.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Lucas

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Lucas forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.029, -93.328 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Monroe

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.030, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Wapello

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Wapello forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.031, -92.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Taylor

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Taylor forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.737, -94.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Ringgold

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Ringgold forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.735, -94.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Decatur

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Decatur forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.738, -93.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Wayne

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.740, -93.327 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Appanoose

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Appanoose forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.743, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Davis

When: February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Davis forecast zone
Property damage: $750,000
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 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, February 1997

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: 5585528, 5585529, 5585530, 5585531, 5585532, 5585533, 5585534, 5585535, 5585536, 5585537, 5585538, 5585539, 5585540, 5585541, 5586113, 5586114, 5586115, 5586116, 5586117, 5586118, 5586119, 5586120, 5586121, 5586122, 5586123, 5586124, 5586125, 5586126, 5586127, 5586128, 5586129, 5586130, 5586131, 5586132, 5586133, 5586134, 5586135.