The flooding that began earlier in the month continued as the warmer air moved north. Much of the secondary flooding of the month occurred over northern Iowa in places that hadn't already reached flood stage from the first wave of melting.
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.
The flooding that began earlier in the month continued as the warmer air moved north. Much of the secondary flooding of the month occurred over northern Iowa in places that hadn't already reached flood stage from the first wave of melting. In addition, rainfall during the middle of the month helped to push a few rivers over the central counties to at or above flood stage.
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 Mar 14, 11:42 AM CST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1242 PM CDT SUN MAR 14 2010 .SHORT TERM /TODAY/... LOW OVER SOUTHERN INDIANA NOW BEGINNING TO PULL AWAY FROM THE REGION. STILL IN NORTH NORTHEAST FLOW...WHICH HAS BEEN RATHER MILD FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. DRIER AIR IS TRYING TO MOVE INTO NORTHEAST IA AND IS BEING INGESTED INTO THE FLOW. THICKER STRATUS/FOG OVER THE WEST CONTINUES TO DRIFT AWAY FROM THE AREA EARLY. STILL SOME PATCHY FOG THIS MORNING...ESPECIALLY WEST. MODELS NOT PICKING UP ON THE CONTINUED STRATUS FORMING OFF SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN TO OUR EAST AND FILLING WEST. FEEL THAT THE NORTHEAST/NORTH MAY SEE SOME BREAKS TODAY...BUT MANY OF US WILL REMAIN CLOUDY FOR THE BULK OF THE DAY. NONE THE LESS...MILD LOWS NOW WILL TRANSLATE INTO MILD AFTERNOON HIGHS...NOW THAT THE SNOW HAS MELTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH. NORTHWEST WILL BE A DIFFERENT STORY WITH MORE SNOW PACK AND LIKELY TO SEE COOLER READINGS OVER THAT AREA TODAY. WILL CONTINUE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY WITH POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL ICE JAMS CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTH. .LONG TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... LO PRES WILL MOVE OUT OF THE AREA WITH WEAK RIDGING TAKING OVER FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK. IN SPITE OF THAT...A STRONG UPR LVL SYS WILL SWEEP SWD ACRS THE CENTRAL CONUS TUE AND TUE NGT. DO NOT EXPECT TO SEE MUCH OUT OF IT OTHER THAN ISOLD TO SCT -RN. ONCE THAT PASSES HIGH PRES BOTH SFC AND ALF WILL DOMINATE THE WX FOR WED THRU THU. NEXT WX SYS POISED TO AFFECT THE AREA FRI INTO THE WKND. WITH COLDER AIR WORKING INTO THE SYS...WOULD EXPECT TO SEE PCPN BECOME MORE MXD RASN AS WE HAD INTO FRI NGT AND SAT. ATTM IT DOES NOT APPEAR LKLY THAT THERE WILL BE SIG AMTS WITH THIS SYS...BUT A NARROW BAND OF HEAVIER SNOW IS A POSSIBILITY LATE FRI NGT OR ERY SAT. && .AVIATION... 14/18Z...SIGNIFICANT CLOUD EROSION HAS OCCURRED FROM NE INTO CENTRAL IA WITH VFR CONDITIONS ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO KDSM/KOXV. IMPROVEMENT IS PUSHING MORE SOUTH THAN WEST AT THE MOMENT HOWEVER WITH LIFR CONDITIONS STILL FROM KADU/KAXA/KFXY AND POINTS WEST. EXPECT THIS LIFTING TO CEASE SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET WITH AND THEN MOVE EVER SO SLOWLY EASTWARD WITH NNWLY LOW LEVEL WINDS. HAVE LITTLE CONFIDENCE HOW LOW CONDITIONS WILL DROP...OR THE TIMING...SO HAVE BROAD BRUSHED IFR FOR A START. LOWEST END CLOSER TO THE NW SNOWPACK. && .HYDROLOGY... WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOOD EVENT CONTINUES TO UNFOLD ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA. WE/RE NOT LOOKING AT ANOTHER 2008 EVENT HOWEVER. THIS FLOOD EVENT WAS EXPECTED TO OCCUR...THOUGH...PER OUR FIRST SPRING FLOOD OUTLOOK FROM LATE JANUARY WHICH HIGHLIGHTED A HIGH RISK OF SIGNIFICANT FLOODING. THE FLOOD THREAT IS MIGRATING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH WITH TIME. BASINS OF MOST CONCERN ARE FIRST THE DES MOINES/RACCOON...FOLLOWED BY THE CEDAR/IOWA THEN SKUNK. MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING EXPECTED AT MANY LOCATIONS IN THE DES MOINES/RACCOON RIVER BASINS. ICE JAMS CONTINUE TO BE PROBLEMATIC...WITH THE LEADING EDGE OF THE ACTIVITY MIGRATING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH AHEAD OF THE OVERALL FLOOD THREAT. THE ICE JAM ACTIVITY HAS BEEN RATHER PREDICTABLE FOR THIS EVENT...WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE EVENTS OCCURRING WITHIN 12 TO 24 HRS AFTER STREAMS BEGIN TO RISE. THE ICE JAM ACTIVITY HAS BEEN MORE PROLIFIC THAN NORMAL...WHICH WAS EXPECTED. THE ICE HAS BECOME THICKER THAN NORMAL...DUE TO OUR COLDER THAN NORMAL WINTER...WITH THICKNESSES EXCEEDING 12 TO 18 INCHES IN SOME LOCATIONS. THE ICE JAM HOT SPOTS TODAY HAVE INCLUDED BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FORT DODGE AREA...ESTHERVILLE...AND DAKOTA CITY. DUE TO THE WIDESPREAD POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING FROM THE JAMS...THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES THROUGH THE DAY TODAY FOR COUNTIES ALONG AND NORTH OF U.S. HWY 20. IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE WATCH WILL BE EXTENDED FOR LONGER IN TIME FOR A GROUPING OF COUNTIES IN THE FAR NORTHWEST WHERE SIGNIFICANT RISES IN RIVERS WILL NOT HAVE OCCURRED UNTIL LATER TODAY OR THE EARLY PART OF THIS WEEK. MANY STREAMS WILL BE SLOWER THAN NORMAL TO RECEDE POST-CREST AND FALL BELOW STAGE...AS THE RUNOFF FROM SNOW MELT AS WELL AS EXCESS SOIL MOISTURE TAKES A WHILE TO FIND ITS WAY INTO THE STREAMS. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY FOR NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. && SHORT TERM...REV AVIATION...BSS LONG TERM...MS MAR 10 HYDROLOGY...ZOGG/REV/MJB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 554 AM CDT SUN MAR 14 2010 IAZ044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097-151100- 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- 554 AM CDT SUN MAR 14 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT FLOODING WILL CONTINUE...ESPECIALLY IN RIVER BASINS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT IN MANY AREAS. PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR DETAILS. LOCALLY DENSE FOG IS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FLOODING WILL PERSIST INTO NEXT WEEK AS SNOW MELT CONTINUES AND RUNOFF FLOWS INTO RIVERS. FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT IN MANY AREAS. PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...HOWEVER ANY REPORTS OF FLOODING AND ICE JAMS ARE ENCOURAGED AND GREATLY APPRECIATED. IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-151100- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN- WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK- 554 AM CDT SUN MAR 14 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ICE JAMS REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH TODAY AND FLOODING WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO INCREASE. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH AND FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR MANY AREAS. PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH THE NEXT WEEK. FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT IN SOME AREAS. PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...HOWEVER ANY REPORTS OF FLOODING AND ICE JAMS ARE ENCOURAGED AND GREATLY APPRECIATED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1041 AM CDT SUN MAR 14 2010 IAZ004>007-015>017-023-024-033-034-044-045-141700- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-SAC-CALHOUN-CRAWFORD-CARROLL- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ESTHERVILLE...ALGONA...FOREST CITY... NORTHWOOD...EMMETSBURG...GARNER...MASON CITY...POCAHONTAS... HUMBOLDT...SAC CITY...ROCKWELL CITY...DENISON...CARROLL 1041 AM CDT SUN MAR 14 2010 AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL CONTINUE OVER NORTHWEST IOWA THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. VISIBILITY WILL BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE HALF MILE AT TIMES. TRAVELERS ARE URGED TO EXERCISE CAUTION...ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH THEIR DESTINATION SAFELY. USE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS AND ALLOW FOR EXTRA STOPPING DISTANCE AND EXTRA SPACE BETWEEN VEHICLES. SMALL
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 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, March 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: 214775, 214773, 214772, 214774, 214776.