Flooding in Iowa, May 21 to 25, 1999

Name: Flooding in Iowa, May 21 to 25, 1999
Start: 1999-05-21T15:00
End: 1999-05-25T06:00
Location: Iowa

May 21 to 25, 1999 · NWS DMX · 28 events in 28 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 28 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: $1.4 million
Crop damage: $280,000
Events: 28

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.

Once again, heavy rainfall struck Iowa. Heavy rainfall over parts of southwest and central Iowa early on the morning of the 21st led to rapid rises on the Raccoon River through Des Moines and on metro area streams and creeks. Rainfall of 1 to 3 inches in several hours caused the Raccoon river at Van Meter to rise over 5 feet in 6 hours, causing a crest of 18.21 feet on the afternoon of the 21st (flood stage is 13 feet). The downstream crest at Fleur Drive in Des Moines was 16.0 feet (flood stage is 12 feet) early on the 22nd. This flooded several roads along the river in Des Moines. Walnut Creek, which begins in Dallas County and runs through West Des Moines and Des Moines, rose very rapidly but remained just below flood stage in Des Moines, though was well out of its banks over western Polk and Dallas Counties. Fourmile Creek, on the east side of the city, also rose rapidly and exceeded its flood stage of 12 feet by almost one half foot. Though serious, this flood event was not as serious as the event that took place around mid month. According to data provided by the Iowa State Climatology Office, statewide precipitation was 4.92 inches, or .94 inches above normal. Regionally, northeast and southwest Iowa were the wettest parts of the state, while parts of northwest and southeast had below average rainfall. The month ranked the 33rd wettest May in the 127 years of record-keeping. Temperatures were near normal statewide, averaging 61.2 degrees, which is .3 degrees above the 1961-1990 normal. For the 3 spring months (March, April, and May), statewide precipitation averaged 12.23 inches, making this the 17th wettest spring in the past 127 years.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

28 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Black Hawk

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Black Hawk forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.470, -92.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Adair

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Adair forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.331, -94.471 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Bremer

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Bremer forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.775, -92.318 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Butler

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Butler forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.732, -92.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Carroll

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.861 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Cerro Gordo

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Cerro Gordo forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.082, -93.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dallas

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Emmet

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Emmet forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.378, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Franklin

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.733, -93.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Greene

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Grundy

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Grundy forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.402, -92.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Guthrie

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Guthrie forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.684, -94.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Hancock

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Hancock forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.082, -93.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Hardin

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Hardin forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Humboldt

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Humboldt forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.777, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Jasper

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Jasper forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.686, -93.054 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Kossuth

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Kossuth forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.204, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Madison

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.331, -94.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Mahaska

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Mahaska forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.335, -92.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Marion

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.099 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Marshall

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.036, -92.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Pocahontas

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Pocahontas forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.734, -94.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Polk

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.686, -93.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Story

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Story forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.036, -93.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Warren

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Webster

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.428, -94.182 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Winnebago

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Winnebago forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.378, -93.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Wright

When: May 21, 3:00 PM CST to May 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Wright forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.733, -93.735 (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 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, May 1999

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: 5693689, 5693690, 5693691, 5693692, 5693693, 5693694, 5693695, 5693696, 5693697, 5693698, 5693699, 5693700, 5693701, 5693702, 5693703, 5693704, 5693705, 5693706, 5693707, 5693708, 5693709, 5693710, 5693779, 5693780, 5693781, 5693782, 5693783, 5693784.