Another round of rainfall hit the state with the hardest hit being the central into the northeast counties. The flooding was mostly along the Des Moines, Iowa, and Cedar River Basins.
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.
Another round of rainfall hit the state with the hardest hit being the central into the northeast counties. The flooding was mostly along the Des Moines, Iowa, and Cedar River Basins. For the most part, the flooding was minor, though Stratford on the Des Moines River rose to 7 feet above flood stage. At Stratford, flooding is limited to agricultural lands for the most part to a stage at least 12 feet over flood stage. Damage was done to agricultural lands, with little property damage during this event. For a more complete summary, see the 18-25 June 2010 event narrative.
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 22, 5:30 PM CST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 630 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2010 ...UPDATED FOR 00Z AVIATION DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT/... COMPLICATED FORECAST TONIGHT. THE MCS FROM LAST NIGHT/EARLY THIS MORNING HAS LAID AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY ESSENTIALLY ACROSS HIGHWAY 20. HOWEVER A SURFACE LOW MOVED NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN MN AND PUSHED THE FRONTAL NORTH FROM ABOUT KMCW TO KAXA. MEANWHILE A SOUTHERLY FLOW ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA BROUGHT IN SOME WARMER AIR. TEMPS AT H7 WERE WARMING OUT WEST. ONE QUESTION IS WHAT IF ANY EFFECT THE WARM ADVECTION WILL HAVE ON CONVECTION. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT KILL CONVECTION BUT CU DEVELOPMENT BEGAN ALONG THE OUTFLOW AND FRONTAL BOUNDARIES BY EARLY AFTERNOON...ALBEIT FLAT...PROBABLY DUE TO SOME CAPPING. THE ATMOSPHERE IS UNSTABLE HOWEVER AND THE CAP WILL WEAKEN BY LATE EVENING. I DO EXPECT SOME SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE NORTH DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON FROM THE FESTERING CU BUT IT APPEARS THE BIGGER CHANCES FOR WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE TONIGHT. A SHORTWAVE WILL COME ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY AND THAT IS WHAT WILL LIKELY BE THE TRIGGER FOR STRONGER STORMS AS THAT WAVE WILL FINALLY PUSH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY SOUTHEAST OF THE STATE. I WILL BE EXTENDING THE FFA THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY IN ANTICIPATION OF PRECIP THAT WILL GO LATER INTO THE NIGHT. .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... CDFNT THAT GETS HUNG UP OVR THE STATE TNGT WILL FINALLY MOV SWD AS STRONG S/WV DROPS SEWD INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST FRI AFTN AND NIGHT. ANOTHER ROUND OF TSRA IS LKLY WITH THIS. HI PRES WILL BLD INTO THE AREA FOR SAT AND SUN. DIF IN MDLS ON FEATURE COMING UP OUT OF THE GULF. WILL GO TOWARD THE ECMEF SOLNS ON THIS. WILL INTRODUCE POPS...ESPECIALLY SRN ZNS...SUN NGT INTO MON. THIS WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED DUE TO THE TROPICAL NATURE OF THE FEATURE. TRENDING HAS BEEN FOR GFS TO MINOR IT OUT WITH TIME...BUT ECMWF HAS PICKED UP ON IT AND GIVES CRED TO THE POSSIBILITY. && .AVIATION...23/00Z WK CONVERGENT AREA ACRS CNTRL IA WILL PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOP THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED AT MOST LOCATIONS WITH BEST THREAT OF MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS AT KDSM AND KALO. CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BY FRIDAY MORNING WITH VFR CIGS AND VSBYS ACRS CENTRAL IA FOR THE DAY ON FRIDAY. SFC WINDS WILL GENERALLY REMAIN FROM THE SOUTH WITH SOME VARIABILITY IN THE FAR NORTH. && && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 7AM FRIDAY MORNING FOR BLACK HAWK- BUTLER-BREMER-CALHOUN-CERRO GORDO-EMMET-FRANKLIN-GRUNDY-GUTHRIE- HANCOCK-HAMILTON-HARDIN-HUMBOLDT-KOSSUTH-PALO ALTO-POCAHONTAS- SAC-STORY-WEBSTER-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-WRIGHT. HEAT ADVORY UNTIL 8 PM FOR THE SOUTH THREE TIERS OF COUNTIES. && && LONG TERM...MS JUL 10 SHORT TERM...FAB AVIATION...COGIL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 540 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2010 IAZ004>007-015>017-231100- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- 540 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. A FEW STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO EXPECTED WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT...AND AGAIN FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY. REPORTS OF HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING ARE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED. IAZ023>028-033>039-231100- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN- WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK- 540 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. SOME SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED WITH DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO EXPECTED WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...AND AGAIN FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY. REPORTS OF HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING ARE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED. IAZ044>050-057>062-070>075-231100- CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE- DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION- MAHASKA- 540 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. SOME SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED WITH DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO EXPECTED WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT...AND AGAIN FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY. REPORTS OF HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING ARE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED. IAZ081>086-092>097-231100- ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR- WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 540 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED INTO THIS EVENING HOURS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXIST ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT...BUT SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL REMAINS LIMITED AT THIS TIME. A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER EXIST WHERE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT...AND AGAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. COGIL
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
321 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0238 AM TORNADO 2 SSW POCAHONTAS 42.71N 94.68W
07/22/2010 POCAHONTAS IA NWS STORM SURVEY
TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 1 MILE SOUTH OF POCAHONTAS NEAR
HIGHWAY 4. IT TRAVELED 2.6 MILES ON THE GROUND AND LIFTED
NORTHEAST OF THE GOLF COURSE AND PRIOR TO THE AIRPORT.
&&
MS JUL 10SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 829 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2010 IAZ039-230230- BLACK HAWK- 829 PM CDT THU JUL 22 2010 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING THROUGH BLACK HAWK COUNTY... AT 827 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WATERLOO...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. * THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... 9 MILES SOUTH OF DUNKERTON BY 835 PM CDT... GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED. VACHALEK
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, July 2010
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: 238717, 238716, 238722, 238719, 238721, 238715, 238712, 238713, 238718, 238714, 238720.