Flooding in Iowa, April 1 to 30, 2001

Name: Flooding in Iowa, April 1 to 30, 2001
Start: 2001-04-01T00:00
End: 2001-04-30T23:59
Location: Iowa

April 1 to 30, 2001 · NWS FSD · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Flooding along the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan Rivers occurred during most of April, due to snowmelt and heavy rains. 4 feet above flood stage at Spencer on the 13th, with other crests along the river both early and late in the month.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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: 3

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 FSD wrote it up.

Flooding along the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan Rivers occurred during most of April, due to snowmelt and heavy rains. The river crested at up to 3.4 feet above flood stage at Spencer on the 13th, with other crests along the river both early and late in the month.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 31, 9:00 PM CST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 9:00 PM CST, 3 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR SOUTHEAST SD/SOUTHWEST MN/NORTHWEST IA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
900 PM CST SAT MAR 31 2001

A FEW SPRINLES LEFT IN SW MN BUT THESE SHLD BE GONE BY 10 PM AS UPR
LO TO E PULLS E. SAT STIL SHWG SOME CLDS MOVG S THRU SW MN WITH WRP
ARND SO WILL KP PTCLDY IN NE ZNS OVR SW MN FOR TNGT. REST OF CWA
MOCLR ATTM BUT HI CLDS WILL BE SPRDG INTO WRN AREAS AFT MDNGT AND
WILL ADD TO FCST. REST OF UPDAT TO TAKE OUT EVE SPRINKLES AND
FLURRIES AND LWR WNDS. FCST LOWS LOOK GD FOR NOW.

.FSD...NONE

WB

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Buena Vista

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Buena Vista forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.736, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Clay

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.083, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dickinson

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Dickinson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.378, -95.151 (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 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, April 2001

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: 5242865, 5242866, 5242959.