Iowa, 2010Flooding and Lightning Strike in Iowa, July 22 to 23, 2010
July 22 to 23, 2010 · NWS ARX · 8 events in 2 counties and zones
Several rounds of thunderstorms developed along a slow moving cold front. These thunderstorms stretched across much of southern Wisconsin into north central and central Iowa.
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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $7,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- 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.
Several rounds of thunderstorms developed along a slow moving cold front. These thunderstorms stretched across much of southern Wisconsin into north central and central Iowa. The thunderstorms tracked repeatedly over the same areas dropping several inches of rain across Fayette and Clayton counties which resulted in flooding problems on July 22nd into the 23rd.
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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 22, 1:42 AM CST, 4 hours 18 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 22, 1:42 AM CST, 4 hours 18 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 22, 5:30 AM CST, 30 minutes before
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5 flood, 2 heavy rain, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Rain, Clayton
- When
- July 22, 6:00 AM CST to July 23, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Clayton County, Strawberry Pt
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 42.680, -91.530
The Strawberry Point COOP observer measured 9.04 inches of rain in the 24 hour period ending at 6 a.m. CST July 23rd.
Heavy Rain, Fayette
- When
- July 22, 6:00 AM CST to July 23, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Fayette County, 1.02 mi E of Oelwein
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 42.680, -91.880
The COOP observer 1 mile east of Oelwein measured 10.15 inches of rain in the 24 hour period ending at 6 a.m. CST July 23rd.
Flood, Clayton
- When
- July 22, 4:04 PM CST to 6:15 PM CST
- Where
- Clayton County, 0.49 mi E of Monona to 0.54 mi E of Monona
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 43.050, -91.390
Officers reported street flooding in the town of Monona.
Flood, Clayton
- When
- July 22, 8:05 PM CST to 11:30 PM CST
- Where
- Clayton County, 1.46 mi ENE of Edgewood to 1.56 mi ENE of Edgewood
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 42.676, -91.402
The Edgewood Fire Department reported that Bear Creek had rose out of its banks and caused minor flooding.
Lightning, Fayette
- When
- July 23, 1:26 AM CST
- Where
- Fayette County, Oelwein
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Reported by
- Newspaper
- Coordinates
- 42.680, -91.900
Lightning struck a house chimney blowing bricks into the street. No fire occurred from the lightning strike.
Flood, Fayette
- When
- July 23, 2:15 AM CST to 5:15 AM CST
- Where
- Fayette County, 1.31 mi SSW of Oelwein to 1.29 mi SSW of Oelwein
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 42.664, -91.914
Water from heavy rain was about a foot deep at the intersection of 10th Ave SE and Frederick in the city of Oelwein. A total of 6.23 inches of rain fell in the previous 24 hours.
Flood, Fayette
- When
- July 23, 6:30 AM CST to 10:30 AM CST
- Where
- Fayette County, 2.66 mi S of Oelwein to 2.73 mi S of Oelwein
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 42.642, -91.908
Flood waters from heavy rain caused State Highways 150 and 281 to be closed on the south side of the city of Oelwein. Several other reports of city streets flooded as well as water in basements were also received.
Flood, Fayette
- When
- July 23, 7:00 AM CST to 11:15 AM CST
- Where
- Fayette County, 0.35 mi NW of Oelwein to 0.29 mi NW of Oelwein
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 42.683, -91.906
Nearly ten inches of rain (9.93 inches) in Oelwein caused Dry Run Creek to go out of its banks.
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flash Flooding in Wisconsin, July 22, 20101 death · $28 million · 11 events
- Excessive Heat in Missouri, July 22 to 24, 201023 injured · 29 events
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 22, 20102 injured · $138,000 · EF2 · 23 events
- Flash Flooding in Illinois, July 22 to 23, 2010$3.0 million · 3 events
- Heat in Kentucky, July 22 to 24, 201011 injured · 22 events
- Flooding in Iowa, July 22 to 31, 2010$975,000 · 11 events
- Flash Flood in Arizona, July 22, 2010$1.2 million · 1 event
- Flood and Hail in Nebraska, July 22, 2010$515,000 · 1.75 in hail · 12 events
- Flash Flooding in Iowa, July 22 to 23, 2010$600,000 · 2 events
- Flash Flooding in Nebraska, July 22, 2010$200,000 · 2 events
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Michigan, July 22, 2010$100,000 · EF0 · 11 events
- Tornado in Minnesota, July 22, 2010$50,000 · EF1 · 1 event
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 246609, 246610, 246560, 246555, 247572, 246565, 246571, 246593.