A strong warm front was positioned southwest of Iowa during the early morning of the the 24th. A 40 to 50 kt low level jet transported a considerable amount of moisture northeast across the frontal boundary.
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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.
The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.
A strong warm front was positioned southwest of Iowa during the early morning of the the 24th. A 40 to 50 kt low level jet transported a considerable amount of moisture northeast across the frontal boundary. Precipitable water values increased to 2.25 to 2.5 inches over the southwest half of Iowa. Thunderstorms formed in the strong theta-e advection zone across northeast Nebraska into west central Iowa through the night. They intensified during the predawn hours and continued through the morning. Very heavy rainfall occurred in a 30 to 40 mile wide band extending from southeast of Atlantic, southeastward through the Creston area into Lamoni. Widespread rainfall of 5 to 9 inches occurred in this area, with most of the rain falling in less than 6 hours. Flooding was widespread in this band with U.S. Highways 169, 65 and 34 all closed in places due to high water. Numerous county roads were flooded, with some washouts occurring and a few bridges being washed out. A report from the Sun Valley Lake area of Ringgold County indicated that boats on the lake were floating from their lifts and houses around the lake were threatened. Farmers in the area expressed that they had never seen flooding like this so late in the season. There were intermittent thunderstorms during the afternoon, then another line of strong thunderstorms developed over southwest Iowa. They set up in a line extending along to just northeast of the area of heavy flooding that occurred during the morning and into the afternoon. Renewed flash flooding took place over Ringgold County, with nearly all roads closed in parts of the county. The excessive rain from the previous 24 hours lead to general flooding over south central Iowa. Floods continued through the following day with numerous roads closed, especially in Lucas and Wayne Counties.
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 Jul 23, 10:56 PM CST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1156 PM CDT WED JUL 23 2008 ...UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION... .DISCUSSION... CURRENT TSRA ENTERING WRN IA WILL HAVE A HARD TIME FIGHTING AGAINST THE DRY AIR INFLO FRM THE ESELY FLOW TO THE EAST AND EXPECT THIS AREA TO WEAKEN. FOCUS WILL TURN TO THE BNDRY TO THE S AND W...COMBINED WITH THE LLJ SETTING UP LATER TONIGHT. MDLS INDICATIONG 40 KTS FLOWING INTO 20...SO DECENT CONVERGENCE SHUD BE IN PLACE. SEE LTL CHC FOR SVR TNGT...BUT RAFL WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED. PWAT VALUES RISE SIGNIFICANTLY OVR NGT WITH SOUNDING NEARLY SATURATED BY MRNG. QUES FOR THU WILL BE IF WE CAN BRK OUT AT ALL. FEEL THE SWRN PART OF THE CWA HAS THE BEST CHC FOR BREAKING OUT FOR A FEW HRS AND WUD THEREFORE HAVE THE BEST CHC FOR SVR WX. LOOK FOR SOME REDEVELOPMENT AND THEN AREA GRDULY SINKING SWD THU NGT. NWLY FLOW CONT OVR THE ARE WITH STEADY PROGRESSION OF S/WVS. NEXT ROUND LKLY FOR LATER SAT NGT INTO SUN. PROGRESSION CONTINUES INTO EARY NEXT WEEK WITH NO REAL LET UP IN SIGHT ATTM. TEMPS NOT LIKELY TO STRAY MUCH FROM NORM XCP FOR THU...WHERE CLOUDS WILL HOLD THE AREA WELL BLO NORM FOR MAX. && .AVIATION...24/06Z LIGHT SHOWERS CONTINUE MOVE OVER CENTRAL IOWA THOUGH IS FALLING WITH VFR CONDITIONS. THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING WEST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER AND WILL MOVE INTO WRN IA LATER TONIGHT. MAIN SITES AFFECTED WILL BE DSM THEN LATER OTM. MVFR CEILINGS EXPECTED FOR A PERIOD ALL SITES AS THIS SYSTEM PASSES. ADDITIONAL MVFR CEILINGS MAINLY NORTH EXPECTED AFTER 00Z. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...KINNEY LONG TERM...MS JUL 08 AVIATION...DONAVON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 322 PM CDT WED JUL 23 2008 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-241100- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN- WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE- BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER- POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION- CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE- APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 322 PM CDT WED JUL 23 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD EAST ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. AT THIS TIME THERE IS VERY LITTLE CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER...BUT IT CANNOT BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT OVER FAR WESTERN IOWA. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WOULD BE THE MAIN SEVERE THREATS IN THE STRONGEST STORMS. LOCALLY HEAVY HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT...HOWEVER WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THURSDAY...AND INTERMITTENTLY THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE MAIN SEVERE THREATS WITH THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...AS WELL AS LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. AGAIN WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:00 UTC.
16 heavy rain, 14 flash flood, 3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
KCCI television reported that a trained spotter had 9 inches of rain so far this morning.
From KCCI TV viewer. Small creek near their farm was well over its banks. This creek feeds the Nodaway River. Rainfall was 5.8 inches.
Rainfall of 7.5 inches and still raining lightly.
From a KCCI TV viewer it was reported that 5 inches of rain had fallen.
Rainfall report of 4.32 inches was received.
A rainfall report of 4.26 inches was received.
A spotter reported rainfall of 6.50 inches.
The Creston AWOS site reported 3.83 inches of rainfall.
Creston ASOS reported 5.10 inches of rain so far.
A coop observer reported 4.50 inches of rainfall.
Rainfall of 4.16 inches was reported.
Measured rainfall of 4.75 inches.
Report from KCCI schoolnet site of 4.75 inches of rain.
Water over County Road J25 due to Lotts Creek between County Highway P64 and County Highway P68 just north of Kellerton.
The Adams County law enforcement reported that highway 34 was closed at Sycamore Ave near Stringtown due to water over the road, County Road H45 was closed southeast of Corning and anther road was closed near Mount Etna. Widespread street flooding was reported as well in Prescott and Corning.
Nine inches of rain has fallen so far. In the Sun Valley Lake Area, water was over the sea wall, boats were floating off their lifts. Many roads were flooded. Worst flooding seen in years with houses threatened.
Local law enforcement reported a bridge washed out on 210th Ave west of P54 as well as widespread flooding and numerous gravel roads under water throughout the county.
Local law enforcement reports the bridge on Elk Chapel Road just south of Highway 2 was under a foot of water.
Water has partially washed out 240th Ave.
Water was eroding the gravel from 275th St.
Water was over 280th Street 1 mile west of County Road R14.
Ringgold County Emergency Manager reports closures due to water over the road on Highway 2 three miles west of Kellerton and on County Road P64 north and south of Highway 2. Numerous gravel roads were flooded throughout the county.
Ringgold County Emergency Management reports Highway 169 closed about a mile north of Mt. Ayr due to high water.
Highway 169 north of Mount Ayr was open, but remained closed south of Mount Ayr. Highway 2 was closed and County road P68 was closed north of Highway 2. Closures due to water over the road.
Pole and Cherry Streets were closed due to high water over the road from the south end of Creston south to 270th Street.
Evening rainfall was reported as 5.20 inches.
Rainfall since Thursday evening was 6.30 inches, with a 24 hour total of 8.40 inches.
Heavy rainfall put the Platte River out of its banks and flash flooding was reported with water over County Road J23. The Sheriffs office has declared all roads closed north of County Road J23. County road P27 was also closed.
Five inches of rain has fallen this evening.
Highway J22 was closed and inundated by high water near the railroad underpass. Several other gravel roads were inundated throughout the county.
Water over 200th Ave South of the bridge over the Chariton River. Road was under water for about one quarter of a mile.
Flooding over the roads in Stephens State Forest.
Local law enforcement reported that Highway 65 was being closed just south of Highway 34 due to water over the road from White Breast Creek.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, July 2008
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: 106340, 106305, 106307, 106312, 106314, 106316, 106323, 106325, 106327, 106328, 106334, 106337, 106309, 106367, 106363, 106369, 106371, 106364, 106485, 106491, 106497, 106374, 106376, 106672, 106675, 106944, 106945, 106673, 106676, 106946, 106947, 106959, 106960.