73 inches of rain. A few unofficial reports were as high as 7 inches that fell in the Stuart area of southeast Guthrie County.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
Yet another heavy rain event affected much of central and south central Iowa on the night of the 27th with Guthrie Center reporting 6.73 inches of rain. A few unofficial reports were as high as 7 inches that fell in the Stuart area of southeast Guthrie County. Rainfall in the metro Des Moines area ranged from 2 to as much as 5 inches. Monthly rain totals exceeded a foot over parts of south central Iowa while sections of far western and northern Iowa recorded a drier than normal July. Preliminary monthly rain totals vary from only 1.66 inches at Clarinda and 1.92 inches at Red Oak to 12.50 inches at Allerton and 12.81 inches at Lake Rathbun Dam. Unofficial totals as high as 13.87 inches were reported near Indianola. Statewide this was Iowa’s wettest July since 1993 when the all-time calendar month record of 10.50 inches was set. Year-to-date precipitation totals have already exceeded annual normals over much of south central, central and northeast Iowa. In terms of statewide average precipitation the first seven months of 2008 are the second wettest January through July period among 136 years of records. This year’s preliminary total is 30.18 inches, normal for the period is 20.59 inches and the only wetter period came in 1993 with 32.98 inches. With the wet soil conditions, rivers were again pushed over flood stage in many areas throughout central, south central, and southeast Iowa. Flooding was mainly restricted to agricultural lands, adding to the already large damage totals to the states cash crops.
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 27, 11:45 PM CST, 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1245 AM CDT MON JUL 28 2008 .DISCUSSION... WILL KEEP DISCUSSION BRIEF TODAY WITH ONGOING ACTIVE WEATHER. STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS CURRENTLY FIRING ALONG CONVECTIVE OUTFLOW IN NORTHERN IOWA AND WILL KEEP PROGRESSING SOUTHWARD INTO CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR MOST OF THE CWA UNTIL 10 PM. ALREADY GETTING SIGNIFICANT STRAIGHT LINE WIND REPORTS...CAN/T RULE OUT ISOLATED TOR THREAT INVOF BOUNDARY FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. SOME QUESTION ABOUT CONVECTIVE EVOLUTION BEYOND THE FIRST SHOT...AS THE GFS/ECMWF BOTH SUGGESTING ADDITIONAL MCS POTENTIAL ESPECIALLY EASTERN HALF LATE TONIGHT. WILL HAVE TO WATCH HEAVY RAIN THREAT CLOSELY AS CONVECTION MOVES INTO SOUTHERN IOWA...AREAS THAT CANNOT TAKE MUCH ADDITIONAL RAIN BEFORE FLASH FLOODING OCCURS. NO FLASH FLOOD WATCH PLANNED AT THIS TIME WITH UNCERTAINTY ABOUT AMOUNTS/LOCATION...BUT MAY HAVE TO ISSUE LATER ONCE EVENT SHOWS ITS HAND. BEYOND THE OVERNIGHT...SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAIN/SVR WEATHER AGAIN EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS DOLLY MOISTURE REMNANTS BEGIN TO IMPACT THE REGION. ACTIVE WEATHER LIKELY TO CONTINUE LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY WITH NEXT SHORT WAVE TOPPING THE RIDGE FOLLOWED BY UPPER RIDGING AND MAINLY DRY AND HOT WEATHER FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. && .AVIATION...28/06Z FIRST TSTM COMPLEX HAS MOVED OUT WITH NEW LINE OF TSRA FORMING ON BAROCLINIC BOUNDARY SOUTHEAST INTO CENTRAL TO NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL IA. EXPECT TO SEE THIS THRU MUCH OF THE NIGHT WITH WKNG AFT 10Z. SOME FOG FORMING ARND SNRS SHUD BURN OFF. ATMOS VERY UNSTABLE AND WILL LKLY SEE AT LEAST SCT TSRA BY 18Z ALREADY AND A PERIOD OF MORE WDSPRD ACTIVITY IN THE 22Z-02Z TIMEFRAME. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR ENTIRE CWA EXCEPT NORTHERN 2 TIERS OF COUNTIES. && AVIATION...MS JUL 08 SHORT...MS JUL 08 PUBLIC...KINNEY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1110 PM CDT SUN JUL 27 2008 IAZ023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097-281100- 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- 1110 PM CDT SUN JUL 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED TO WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS TO 60 MPH...AND HAIL TO BASEBALL SIZE. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING... ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHERN IOWA...WHERE HEAVY RAIN FELL RECENTLY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE ARE VARIABLE CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT MANY OF THE NEXT 7 DAYS. AT THIS TIME THE GREATER CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS LOOK TO BE LATE MONDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN TUESDAY. CURRENTLY THE AREA IS IN A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT....WITH THE CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVERNIGHT. IAZ004>007-015>017-281100- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- 1110 PM CDT SUN JUL 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. THE MAIN THREAT WOULD BE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS TO 60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE ARE VARIABLE CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT MANY OF THE NEXT 7 DAYS. AT THIS TIME THE GREATER CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS LOOK TO BE LATE MONDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN TUESDAY. CURRENTLY THE AREA IS IN A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT....WITH THE CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ON AN ISOLATED BASIS TONIGHT. KINNEY/REV
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1219 AM CDT MON JUL 28 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1133 PM HAIL KNOXVILLE 41.32N 93.10W
07/27/2008 E2.50 INCH MARION IA BROADCAST MEDIA
NEAR KNOXVILLE HIGH SCHOOL...FROM KCCI TV VIEWER
&&
SMALLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1225 AM CDT MON JUL 28 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1220 AM FLASH FLOOD ALBIA 41.03N 92.80W
07/28/2008 MONROE IA LAW ENFORCEMENT
FLASH FLOODING REPORTED AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 5
AND HIGHWAY 137.
&&
MS JUL 08PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
115 AM CDT MON JUL 28 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0114 AM FLASH FLOOD INDIANOLA 41.36N 93.57W
07/28/2008 WARREN IA EMERGENCY MNGR
EVACUATING PORTION OF A TRAILER COURT CAUSED BY BACK UP
OF SMALL CREEK THAT EMPTIES INTO MIDDLE RIVER.
&&
SMALLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
123 AM CDT MON JUL 28 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0115 AM FLASH FLOOD CHARITON 41.02N 93.31W
07/28/2008 LUCAS IA LAW ENFORCEMENT
LUCAS COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS COURT AVENUE IS
CLOSED ON THE WEST SIDE OF CHARITON DUE TO 6 TO 8 INCHES
OF WATER OVER THE ROAD. CARS WHICH ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE
THROUGH THE WATER HAVE STALLED.
&&
LEEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
126 AM CDT MON JUL 28 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0120 AM FLASH FLOOD 1 E CENTERVILLE 40.73N 92.86W
07/28/2008 APPANOOSE IA LAW ENFORCEMENT
WATER FLOWING OVER THE HIGHWAY 2 EAST OF CENTERVILLE.
&&
MS JUL 08PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
129 AM CDT MON JUL 28 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0126 AM HEAVY RAIN 4 NNW ANKENY AIRPORT 41.74N 93.60W
07/28/2008 M4.88 INCH POLK IA TRAINED SPOTTER
WATER STANDING OR LIGHTLY FLOWING THROUGH YARD
APPROXIMATELY 15 BY 35 FEET AREA UP TO SIX INCHES DEEP.
RAINFALL SINCE 4PM 4.88 INCHES.
&&
SMALLThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
14 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
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: 111998, 112011, 112010, 112009, 111997, 112012, 112006, 112005, 112007, 112001, 112004, 112000, 112008, 111999.