Flooding in Iowa, June 8 to 13, 1998

June of 1998 was an extremely active month in hydrology across the entire Des Moines HSA. Both flooding and flash flooding were widespread with near record crests recorded on many rivers. These crests reviled the great floods of 1993. There was also extensive damage to property and agriculture. Fortunately there were no flood related fatalities. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reported that the statewide rainfall was 7.96 inches, which was 3.54 above the 1961-1990 normal. The rainfall was heaviest across the central section of the state with 10.29 inches. West central came in close behind with 9.30 inches. Overall, June of 1998 was the 6th wettest June in the past 126 years of records and the wettest since 1993. Year-to-date (January-June) was the 2nd wettest period in the 126 years of record. Temperatures for the month averaged 67.7 degrees F., which was 2.5 degrees below normal. This was the coolest June since 1993, and also aggravated the flooding problems due to the lower evaporation rate. The first significant flooding event of the month took place as heavy rains fell on the state from the 7th through the 10th. Heavy rains developed over southwest Iowa on the 8th with a large swath of one to three inch rains over the Raccoon River Basin. This pushed the Raccoon River over flood stage by the 10th. Two nights later, heavy rains moved into central Iowa, producing another one to three inches of rain in a band from the Nebraska border to Waterloo. June 11th saw a continuation of moderate to heavy rain across nearly the entire HSA. One to one and one half inches of rain fall across the Des Moines metropolitan area, with 2.11 inches at Marshalltown. This flooding event was not extremely major and damage was limited with it. The Skunk, Raccoon, Iowa and Beaver Creek basins were affected.