Flash Flood, Cass
- When
- May 24, 3:15 AM CST to 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- Cass County, 1.56 mi E of Cumberland to Massena
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $250,000
- Crop damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 41.270, -94.850
Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, May 24 to 25, 2007
The cold front mentioned in the event above became stationary for several hours during the early morning of the 24th as low pressure moved from the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles on the night of the 23rd, northeast into Iowa by the morning of the 24th. A large area of thunderstorms developed to the north and northwest of the low pressure track.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $2.2 million
- Crop damage
- $300,000
- Events
- 8
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 cold front mentioned in the event above became stationary for several hours during the early morning of the 24th as low pressure moved from the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles on the night of the 23rd, northeast into Iowa by the morning of the 24th. A large area of thunderstorms developed to the north and northwest of the low pressure track. These storms produced significant rainfall, with two to four inch rainfall common from southwest, into central, and north central Iowa. Guthrie Center, in Guthrie County, received 6.50 inches of rain by sunrise on the 24, with additional rainfall after that. Flash flooding became a problem with significant flooding taking place in Cass, Guthrie, and Adair Counties. Numerous roads were closed by high water or were washed out by water flowing over the roads. Once the flash flooding subsided, general flooding was common in these areas and along the Raccoon River. Widespread flooding occurred in Adair, Cass, Guthrie, and Adams Counties. Numerous significant highways were closed by the high water, including U.S. Highway 6 in Cass County, and Iowa Highway 92 in Cass County. These area both significant highways. Flooding along the Raccoon River nearly resulted in the closure of Interstate 80 during the afternoon of the 24th.
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 Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 23, 2:31 PM CST, 12 hours 44 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 23, 2:31 PM CST, 12 hours 44 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 331 PM CDT WED MAY 23 2007 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT/... SFC COLD FRONT CURRENTLY STRETCHING FROM CENTRAL MN THROUGH NW IA AND INTO SE NEB WILL MOVE VERY LITTLE THIS EVENING WHILE IT WAITS FOR SFC CYCLOGENESIS FARTHER SOUTHWEST OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS IN RESPONSE TO SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING NORTHEAST OUT OF THE SRN ROCKIES. ATMOSPHERE IN ADVANCE OF FRONT HAS BECOME MODERATELY UNSTABLE WITH MUCAPES OF 1500 TO 2000 J/KG AND EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR OF 25 TO 40 KT. SVR TSTM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM FOR NWRN TWO THIRDS OF THE AREA. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT. OTHER CONCERN IS FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. TRAINING STORMS ALONG STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY WITH VERY GOOD MOISTURE TRANSPORT/CONVERGENCE IN AIRMASS WITH PWAT VALUES IN EXCESS OF 1.5 INCHES SUPPORTS THREAT FOR HEAVY RAIN. FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE AREA FOR TONIGHT THROUGH MUCH OF THURSDAY. .LONG TERM /THURSDAY-WEDNESDAY/... SFC FRONT SLOWLY MOVES EAST THROUGH CENTRAL IOWA ON THURSDAY WHILE SFC LOW PROPOGATES NORTHEAST ALONG THE FRONT. THIS WILL ENHANCE LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE OF MOIST AIRMASS. MODERATE TO STRONG MID LVL QG FORCING...VORTICITY ADVECTION AND UPR LVL DIVERGENCE WILL ALSO SUSTAIN SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT...ESPECIALLY DURING THE MORNING. MAX OF THESE PARAMETERS SHIFTS NORTHEAST BY AFTN...BUT STILL PLENTY OF JUICE TO KEEP SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS RUMBLING ACROSS THE EAST IN THE AFTN. SLOW MOVING FRONT WITH MID LVL FLOW PARALLEL TO FRONT AND HIGH PWAT VALUES IN EXCESS OF 1.5 INCHES MEANS TRAINING THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN LIKELY. LARGE AREA OF STRATIFORM RAIN AND EMBEDDED ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY OCCUR BEHIND THE PASSAGE OF FRONT. THREAT FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL APPEARS TO BE MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE FCST AREA...WITH A GENERAL 2 TO 3 INCHES BY THURSDAY AFTN. PREFER THE SLOWER NAM SOLUTION WHICH IS MORE IN LINE WITH ENSEMBLE FCSTS...SO WILL LINGER A SMALL CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE SOUTHEAST THURSDAY EVENING. SVR WX POTENTIAL ON THURSDAY IS LIKELY GOING TO BE HELD IN CHECK BY THE INABILITY TO DESTABILIZE. BEST CHANCES OF SVR STORMS WILL BE IN THE FAR EAST FCST AREA DURING THE AFTN...AHEAD OF FRONT. FRONT MOVES SOUTH OF AREA AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR A PLEASANT AND SEASONAL DAY FRIDAY. MODELS IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH NEXT SFC LOW DEVELOPING IN ERN WY FRI AND PULLING NORTHEAST INTO MN ON SAT. GFS A LITTLE MORE AGRESSIVE WITH BRINGING RAIN CHANCES BACK INTO SRN/WRN AREAS FRIDAY NIGHT. WILL WAIT TO INTRODUCE POPS UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT AS SECONDARY WARM FRONT MOVES INTO SRN IA. STRONGEST DYNAMICS REMAIN NORTH OF IA DURING THE DAY SAT...BUT STILL DECENT PLUME OF MOISTURE AHEAD OF FRONT WILL BE LIFTED. NOT A LOT OF INSTABILITY ONCE AGAIN...BUT SHEAR IS PRETTY GOOD. THUNDERSTORMS CERTAINLY LIKELY...BUT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A MAJOR SEVERE WX EVENT. WILL HAVE ANOTHER NICE DAY SUNDAY BEFORE MORE UNSETTLED WEATHER RETURNS EARLY NEXT WEEK. A BAGGY ZONAL FLOW SETS UP ACROSS NRN CONUS WITH RIPPLES GENERATED BY SHORTWAVES PASSING THROUGH. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY SETS UP ACROSS IA BY MONDAY WHICH WILL BE A FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY AND TUESDAY...AND POSSIBLY INTO WEDNESDAY. THIS TYPE OF PATTERN FAVORS CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS WITH SEVERE WX POTENTIAL AND HEAVY RAIN. ITS TOO EARLY TO TRY AND GET FANCY WITH DETAILS. && .AVIATION... FRONT WL STALL ACRS WESTERN AND CENTRAL IOWA TONIGHT AHEAD OF STRENGHTENING SFC FLOW MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH THE PLAINS. CIGS WL RMN MVFR NR THE FRONT WITH NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. VSBYS WILL ALSO BE RESTRICTED TO MVFR WITH ISOLD IFR NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. SFC WNDS WL RMN STG FM THE SOUTH ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE FRONT WITH LIGHTER N WNDS ON THE BACKSIDE. STG LOW LEVEL JET AT 2-4KFT WL INCREASE OVERNIGHT ACRS S CNTRL INTO CNTRL IA AT NEARLY 50KTS FROM THE SOUTH. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR ADAIR-ADAMS-AUDUBON-BOONE-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CASS- CERRO GORDO-CRAWFORD-DALLAS-EMMET-GREENE-GUTHRIE-HAMILTON- HANCOCK-HUMBOLDT-KOSSUTH-PALO ALTO-POCAHONTAS-SAC-TAYLOR-WEBSTER- WINNEBAGO-WORTH-WRIGHT. && MOYER/COGIL
Hazardous weather outlook, May 23, 3:24 PM CST, 11 hours 51 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 424 PM CDT WED MAY 23 2007 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>025-033>036-044>047-057>059-070-071-081- 092-242130- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER-HAMILTON-CRAWFORD- CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-ADAMS- TAYLOR- 424 PM CDT WED MAY 23 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT. SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT. THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER THE SAME AREAS TONIGHT WILL RESULT IN THE THREAT FOR EXCESSIVE RAIN. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THEN LIKELY ON SATURDAY WITH SOME POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT DISCERNIBLE AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION REMAINS LIKELY THIS EVENING...AND MAY BE NEEDED AGAIN SATURDAY. IAZ026>028-037>039-048>050-060>062-072>075-082>086-093>097-242130- FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-STORY-MARSHALL- TAMA-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-UNION- CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE-APPANOOSE- DAVIS- 424 PM CDT WED MAY 23 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT. SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE SOUTH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY SATURDAY WITH SOME POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER ON SATURDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT DISCERNIBLE AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION REMAINS LIKELY THIS EVENING...AND MAY BE NEEDED AGAIN SATURDAY. MOYER
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:14 UTC.
Event by event
5 flood, 3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flood, Adair
- When
- May 24, 5:30 AM CST to 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- Adair County, 0.52 mi E of Bridgewater to Adair
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $250,000
- Crop damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 41.250, -94.670
Flash Flood, Guthrie
- When
- May 24, 6:15 AM CST to 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- Guthrie County, 1.7 mi WSW of Casey to Guthrie Center
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Crop damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 41.511, -94.560
Flood, Cass
- When
- May 24, 8:45 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cass County, 3.64 mi E of Massena
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $75,000
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 41.250, -94.710
Flood, Cass
- When
- May 24, 8:45 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cass County, 0.69 mi S of Anita to 0.52 mi E of Massena
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 41.440, -94.770
Flood, Guthrie
- When
- May 24, 8:45 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Guthrie County, 2.18 mi WSW of Menlo to Guthrie Center
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 41.508, -94.459
Flood, Adair
- When
- May 24, 8:45 AM CST to May 25, 4:25 AM CST
- Where
- Adair County, 0.52 mi E of Bridgewater to Adair
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $250,000
- Crop damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 41.250, -94.670
Flood, Adams
- When
- May 24, 11:50 AM CST to May 25, 9:22 AM CST
- Where
- Adams County, 0.87 mi NE of Lincoln Center to 3 mi N of Nodaway
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Crop damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 41.129, -94.868
What these are
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
- 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
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, May 24 to 26, 2007
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, May 24 to 25, 2007
- Wildfire in Illinois, May 24, 2007
- Flash Flooding in Texas, May 24 to 25, 2007
- Flooding in Iowa, May 24 to 31, 2007
- Strong Wind in Illinois, May 24, 2007
- Flood in Texas, May 24 to 25, 2007
- Strong Wind in Wisconsin, May 24, 2007
- Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 24, 2007
- Hail in Colorado, May 24, 2007
- Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 24, 2007
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Texas, May 24 to 25, 2007
More
Every storm in Iowa in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, May 2007
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: 23034, 23037, 23036, 23064, 23065, 23066, 23283, 23284.