Flash Flooding in Iowa, February 20 to 22, 1997

Name: Flash Flooding in Iowa, February 20 to 22, 1997
Start: 1997-02-20T16:00
End: 1997-02-22T16:00
Location: Iowa

February 20 to 22, 1997 · NWS DVN · 20 events in 20 counties and zones

Heavy rains fell over the area while soils were still partially frozen. These one-to-three inch rains came as area rivers and streams were running high from snowmelt during the previous week.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 20 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 20

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 DVN wrote it up.

Heavy rains fell over the area while soils were still partially frozen. These one-to-three inch rains came as area rivers and streams were running high from snowmelt during the previous week. Numerous streams and rivers went out of their banks, leaving standing water in the area for several days.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

20 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Buchanan

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Buchanan County, Countywide
Coordinates: 42.471, -91.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Delaware

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Delaware County, Countywide
Coordinates: 42.471, -91.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Dubuque

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Dubuque County, Countywide
Coordinates: 42.469, -90.882 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Linn

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Linn County, Countywide
Coordinates: 42.079, -91.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Jones

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Jones County, Countywide
Coordinates: 42.121, -91.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Jackson

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Jackson County, Countywide
Coordinates: 42.172, -90.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Iowa

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Iowa County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.686, -92.065 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Johnson

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Johnson County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.672, -91.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Cedar

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Cedar County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.772, -91.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Clinton

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Clinton County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.898, -90.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Muscatine

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Muscatine County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.484, -91.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Scott

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.637, -90.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Keokuk

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Keokuk County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.337, -92.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Washington

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Washington County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.336, -91.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Louisa

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Louisa County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.219, -91.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Jefferson

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.032, -91.949 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Henry

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Henry County, Countywide
Coordinates: 40.988, -91.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Des Moines

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Des Moines County, Countywide
Coordinates: 40.923, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Van Buren

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Van Buren County, Countywide
Coordinates: 40.753, -91.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Lee

When: February 20, 4:00 PM CST to February 22, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Lee County, Countywide
Coordinates: 40.642, -91.479 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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: 5589254, 5589255, 5589256, 5589257, 5589258, 5589259, 5589260, 5589261, 5589262, 5589263, 5589264, 5589265, 5589266, 5589267, 5589268, 5589269, 5589270, 5589271, 5589272, 5589273.