Flood in Iowa, August 27 to 29, 2009

Name: Flood in Iowa, August 27 to 29, 2009
Start: 2009-08-27T16:00
End: 2009-08-29T13:30
Location: Iowa

August 27 to 29, 2009 · NWS DVN · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy rains during the last week of August resulted in the North Skunk River at Sigourney going above the moderate flood stage level of 18 feet on August 27 around 5 pm. 53 feet around 1245 pm August 28.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $500,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 DVN wrote it up.

Heavy rains during the last week of August resulted in the North Skunk River at Sigourney going above the moderate flood stage level of 18 feet on August 27 around 5 pm. It crested around 20.53 feet around 1245 pm August 28. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 230 pm on August 29.

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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 27, 1:38 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 27, 1:38 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
238 PM CDT THU AUG 27 2009

.DISCUSSION...
AN EXCEPTIONAL RAIN EVENT CONTINUES OVER THE CWA THIS
AFTERNOON...AS A VERY SLOW MOVING VERTICALLY STACKED LOW PRESSURE
MOVES EASTWARD ALONG THE STALLED BOUNDARIES THAT REMAIN IN PLACE
FROM TWO DAYS AGO. WIDESPREAD RAINS OF 3 TO 10 INCHES HAVE LIKELY
ALREADY FALLEN GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM KEOSAUQUA...TO THE
QUAD CITIES...TO STERLING ILLINOIS. MEASURED RAINS THROUGH THIS
MORNING HAVE TOTALED AS HIGH AS 11.75 INCHES...IN SOUTHEAST KEOKUK
COUNTY. TODAYS RAINS HAVE BEEN EXCESSIVE ALONG THE STATIONARY
DEFORMATION ZONE...AFFECTING THE CEDAR RAPIDS METRO.
UNFORTUNATELY...THE RAINFALL EVENT IS NOT NEARING
COMPLETION...WITH A STRONG POSSIBILITY OF 1 TO 3 MORE INCHES ALONG
AND EAST THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TONIGHT.

EARLIER TODAY...WE EXTENDED THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 12Z
FRIDAY. THE VERTICALLY STACKED CIRCULATION WILL BE EXITING THE
EAST AROUND 7 AM TO 9 AM FRIDAY MORNING...ENDING THE HEAVY
RAINFALL THREAT. UNTIL THEN PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL REMAIN
AROUND 2 INCHES WITH HEAVY RAINS RATES AND AMOUNTS BOTH LIKELY.
THE SOUTHEAST CWA HAS RECEIVED SOME HEATING TODAY...AND WITH
DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 70S...THERE WILL BE SOME CAPE AVAILABLE FOR
AFTERNOON AND EVENING CONVECTION. IN ADDITION...UPPER DIFFLUENCE
ALOFT WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE NIGHT TONIGHT...SUPPORTING
WIDESPREAD RAINFALL. THUS...RAINFALL COVERAGE SHOULD AGAIN
INCREASE OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CWA LATE THIS
AFTERNOON. INTENSITY SHOULD ALSO INCREASE AS WELL DUE TO THE
STRONG DYNAMICS AND AVAILABLE CAPE. SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34...THE
STRONGER DYNAMICS SHOULD MISS JUST TO THE
NORTH...HOWEVER...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE TO BE LIKELY.

AFTER TONIGHT...RAINS TOMORROW WILL QUICKLY END IN THE
EAST...FOLLOWED BY SOME MODEST HEATING PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF A
VIGOROUS COLD FRONT FRIDAY EVENING. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE A
SHOWER OR BRIEF STORM COULD OCCUR WITH THE AFTERNOON FROPA...AND
WILL HANG ONTO A SMALL CHANCE.

SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT WILL BE REMARKABLE COOL...AND
INITIALLY BREEZY. EXPECT SEVERAL DAYS OF HIGHS IN THE 60S...AND
LOWS IN THE 40S. SOME LOWER 40S ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY MORNING IN THE
WAPSI VALLEY.

WEDNESDAY INTO FRIDAY...A CHANCE OF RAIN AND POSSIBLE STORMS
RETURNS AS ANOTHER STRONG UPPER WAVE PROVIDES OVER RUNNING LIFT.
...ERVIN...

&&

.AVIATION...
DEFORMATION RA ACROSS KCID/KDBQ THIS AFTERNOON AND HAS KEPT
PERSISTENT LIFR/IFR CIGS WITH VSBYS 1-2SM IN THE HEAVY RA THAT
INCREASE TO 3-5SM IN MODERATE RA. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW CG STRIKES
SO INCLUDED CB WORDING FOR THE 18Z TAFS. NEW CONVECTION IS
DEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTHEAST IA AND WILL TURN INTO HEAVY RAIN
TONIGHT. KBRL/KMLI HAVE THE BEST CHANCES OF SEEING TSRA LATER TODAY.
18Z TAFS FOR KCID/KDBQ ARE LIFR/IFR CIGS WITH TSRA THREAT UNTIL
03-06Z. KBRL/KMLI MVFR/VFR CIGS DROPPING GOING TO LIFR/IFR.
...08...

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
HEAVY RAIN THE PAST TWO DAYS IS PUSHING SEVERAL RIVERS ABOVE FLOOD
STAGE. CURRENT RIVERS AFFECTED ARE THE IOWA...LOWER PORTIONS OF THE
WAPSI AND CEDAR...SKUNK...AND NORTH SKUNK RIVERS. MINOR FLOODING IS
EXPECTED EXCEPT FOR MARENGO...DEWITT...AND WAPELLO. ANOTHER ROUND OF
HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED TONIGHT. CURRENT INFORMATION SUGGESTS THAT
THIS RAIN WILL BE A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF LAST
NIGHTS HEAVY RAINFALL. HOWEVER...SOME AREAS THAT SAW HEAVY RAIN LAST
NIGHT WILL SEE HEAVY RAIN AGAIN TONIGHT. THE PECATONICA...ROCK...AND
GREEN RIVER BASINS WILL BE MOST AT RISK TONIGHT FOR HEAVY RAIN WHICH
MAY PUSH THESE RIVERS INTO FLOOD AS WELL. CREST FORECASTS ON ALL
RIVERS ARE HIGHLY SUBJECT TO CHANGES...POSSIBLY SIGNIFICANT...
DEPENDING ON WHERE...WHEN...AND HOW MUCH RAIN FALLS LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
...08...

&&

.DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR CLINTON-JACKSON-
     SCOTT.

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR BENTON-
     BUCHANAN-CEDAR-DELAWARE-DES MOINES-DUBUQUE-HENRY IA-IOWA-
     JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-JONES-KEOKUK-LINN-LOUISA-MUSCATINE-
     WASHINGTON.

IL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR BUREAU-CARROLL-
     HENRY IL-JO DAVIESS-MERCER-PUTNAM-ROCK ISLAND-STEPHENSON-
     WHITESIDE.

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR HENDERSON-
     WARREN.

MO...NONE.
&&

ERVIN/08

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 27, 3:55 AM CST, 12 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
455 AM CDT THU AUG 27 2009

IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007-
009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-280900-
BENTON IA-BUCHANAN IA-BUREAU IL-CARROLL IL-CEDAR IA-CLARK MO-CLINTON
IA-DELAWARE IA-DES MOINES IA-DUBUQUE IA-HANCOCK IL-HENDERSON IL-HENRY
IA-HENRY IL-IOWA IA-JACKSON IA-JEFFERSON IA-JO DAVIESS IL-JOHNSON IA-
JONES IA-KEOKUK IA-LEE IA-LINN IA-LOUISA IA-MCDONOUGH IL-MERCER IL-
MUSCATINE IA-PUTNAM IL-ROCK ISLAND IL-SCOTLAND MO-SCOTT IA-
STEPHENSON IL-VAN BUREN IA-WARREN IL-WASHINGTON IA-WHITESIDE IL-
455 AM CDT THU AUG 27 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
ILLINOIS...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST
CENTRAL IOWA...NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SLOW MOVING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE EXTENDED PERIODS OF
RAIN AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS OVER ALL BUT THE FAR SOUTHERN
PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA.  WIDESPREAD AREAS OF AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO
2 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED BY LATE EVENING. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL
IS EXPECTED TO FALL 40 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A SIGOURNEY TO QUAD
CITIES TO STERLING LINE.  LOCALIZED HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 3 INCHES ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE TODAY INTO THIS EVENING ALONG THIS LINE.  ADDITIONAL
RAINFALL OVER ONE INCH MAY RESULT IN LOCALIZED AREAL AND POSSIBLY
FLASH FLOODING DUE TO ALREADY VERY SATURATED GROUND.  SIGNIFICANT
RIVER FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ON MANY RIVERS AND TRIBUTARIES
LATER TODAY AND CONTINUE THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON. SEVERE STORMS
ARE NOT EXPECTED.

FLOODING CAUSED BY RUNOFF FROM RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL WILL DEVELOP OR
CONTINUE ALONG AREA RIVERS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT. ANY REPORTS OF
FLOODING OR SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

NICHOLS/SHEETS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 27, 2:27 PM CST, 1 hour 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
327 PM CDT THU AUG 27 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0318 PM     FLASH FLOOD      ANAMOSA                 42.11N 91.28W
08/27/2009                   JONES              IA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            HIGHWAY 151 CLOSED BETWEEN ANAMOSA AND MONTICELLO DUE TO
            FLOODING ON KITTY CREEK. REPORT FROM JONES COUNTY
            SHERIFFS OFFICE RELAYED THROUGH BROADCAST MEDIA.

&&

Local storm report, Aug 27, 3:02 PM CST, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
402 PM CDT THU AUG 27 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0400 PM     HEAVY RAIN       CENTRAL CITY            42.20N 91.52W
08/27/2009  E6.00 INCH       LINN               IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            24 HOUR TOTAL. SPOTTER ALSO REPORTS MINOR FLASH FLOODING
            ON BLODGETT.

&&

MIKEZ

Local storm report, Aug 27, 3:21 PM CST, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
421 PM CDT THU AUG 27 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0418 PM     HEAVY RAIN       VINTON                  42.16N 92.03W
08/27/2009  M2.58 INCH       BENTON             IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            RAINFALL SINCE 6 AM. 3.21 INCHES SINCE MIDNIGHT.

&&

MIKEZ

Local storm report, Aug 27, 3:30 PM CST, 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
430 PM CDT THU AUG 27 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0415 PM     HEAVY RAIN       3 NNW CEDAR RAPIDS      42.02N 91.70W
08/27/2009  M4.81 INCH       LINN               IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SINCE 6 PM LAST NIGHT. 2 DAY EVENT TOTAL 8.12

&&

LE

Local storm report, Aug 27, 3:31 PM CST, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
431 PM CDT THU AUG 27 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0428 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MARION                  42.03N 91.59W
08/27/2009                   LINN               IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER REPORTSFLOODING ON INDIAN CREEK NEAR BOYSON ROAD
            AND NORTH TENTH ST. ALSO REPORTED A CAR STRANDED IN THE
            WATER.

&&

MIKEZ

Local storm report, Aug 27, 3:54 PM CST, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
454 PM CDT THU AUG 27 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0454 PM     HEAVY RAIN       E WYOMING               42.06N 91.00W
08/27/2009  M3.00 INCH       JONES              IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            RAINFALL TOTAL SINCE ABOUT 3 AM.

&&

MIKEZ

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Keokuk

When: August 27, 4:00 PM CST to August 29, 1:30 PM CST
Where: Keokuk County, 1.71 mi SSW of Coal Creek to 2.93 mi WNW of Hedrick
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 41.407, -92.412

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 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, August 2009

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: 192659.