Flooding in Iowa, May 16 to 18, 1998

Name: Flooding in Iowa, May 16 to 18, 1998
Start: 1998-05-16T18:00
End: 1998-05-18T06:00
Location: Iowa

May 16 to 18, 1998 · NWS DMX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Spotty heavy rainfall on the 15th and 16th lead to significant rises on the Des Moines and Raccoon River Basins. The flooding was once again minor and restricted to low lying and agricultural lands.

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: $140,000
Crop damage: $70,000
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.

Spotty heavy rainfall on the 15th and 16th lead to significant rises on the Des Moines and Raccoon River Basins. The flooding was once again minor and restricted to low lying and agricultural lands. Flood crest were only two feet or less above flood stage and duration was not very long. This limited 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: May 16, 6:00 PM CST to May 18, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Calhoun forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 42.385, -94.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Carroll

When: May 16, 6:00 PM CST to May 18, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.861 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dallas

When: May 16, 6:00 PM CST to May 18, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Emmet

When: May 16, 6:00 PM CST to May 18, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Emmet forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 43.378, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Greene

When: May 16, 6:00 PM CST to May 18, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Humboldt

When: May 16, 6:00 PM CST to May 18, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Humboldt forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 42.777, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Kossuth

When: May 16, 6:00 PM CST to May 18, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Kossuth forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 43.204, -94.207 (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, May 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: 5647096, 5647097, 5647098, 5647099, 5647100, 5647101, 5647102.