Flooding in Iowa, April 21 to 25, 1998

Name: Flooding in Iowa, April 21 to 25, 1998
Start: 1998-04-21T06:00
End: 1998-04-25T15:00
Location: Iowa

April 21 to 25, 1998 · NWS DMX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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: $4,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

The final round of heavy rainfall moved through the state shortly after the middle of the month. The rainfall was enough to push a few of the rivers over their banks, but flooding was only a few inches over flood stage in most areas. Flooding along the Raccoon River Basin was due to the rain. The flooding along the Des Moines River Basin southeast of Des Moines was mainly due to water release from Red Rock Reservoir. Storage in the reservoirs in the state had been reduced by 30% due to the heavy rains earlier in the season. In an effort to reduce water levels, the Des Moines River was held near to slightly above flood stage for a couple days following the let up of the rainfall. This event resulted in little to no damage.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Calhoun

When: April 21, 6:00 AM CST to April 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Calhoun forecast zone
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 42.385, -94.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Carroll

When: April 21, 6:00 AM CST to April 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.861 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dallas

When: April 21, 6:00 AM CST to April 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Greene

When: April 21, 6:00 AM CST to April 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Mahaska

When: April 21, 6:00 AM CST to April 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Mahaska forecast zone
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 41.335, -92.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Marion

When: April 21, 6:00 AM CST to April 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.099 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Wapello

When: April 21, 6:00 AM CST to April 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Wapello forecast zone
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 41.031, -92.409 (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 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, April 1998

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: 5640174, 5640175, 5640176, 5640177, 5640178, 5640179, 5640180.