Iowa, 2014

Flooding in Iowa, October 1 to 2, 2014

October 1 to 2, 2014 · NWS OAX · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

Heavy rainfall from repeated thunderstorms in late September caused a number of rivers in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa to go into flood. Much of the flooding was minor, but flooding along the Salt Creek and associated tributaries was more significant and in some locations exceeded 100 and 200 year return intervals.

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
$20,000
Crop damage
$50,000
Events
5

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 OAX wrote it up.

Heavy rainfall from repeated thunderstorms in late September caused a number of rivers in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa to go into flood. Much of the flooding was minor, but flooding along the Salt Creek and associated tributaries was more significant and in some locations exceeded 100 and 200 year return intervals.

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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 1, 12:02 PM CST, 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 1, 12:02 PM CST, 10 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 1, 11:45 AM CST, 27 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 1, 8:18 AM CST, 3 hours 54 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 1, 8:53 AM CST, 3 hours 19 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 1, 9:00 AM CST, 3 hours 12 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 1, 9:05 AM CST, 3 hours 7 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 1, 9:07 AM CST, 3 hours 5 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 1, 9:09 AM CST, 3 hours 3 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Fremont

When
October 1, 12:12 PM CST to October 2, 10:53 PM CST
Where
Fremont County, 2.19 mi NNW of Riverton to 2.56 mi WNW of Riverton
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
$10,000
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
40.708, -95.590

Heavy rainfall in late September led to river flooding into early October along the West Nishnabotna River. The river rose to flood stage in the afternoon on the 1st, crested in the early morning on the 2nd, and fell below flood stage later that evening. The flooding was minor and confined to low-lying areas along the river.

Flood, Montgomery

When
October 1, 2:55 PM CST to October 2, 12:10 AM CST
Where
Montgomery County, 2.68 mi N of Stennett to 2.86 mi S of Elliott
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
$10,000
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
41.119, -95.205

Heavy rainfall in late September led to river flooding into early October along the East Nishnabotna River. The river rose to flood stage in the afternoon on the 1st, crested in the evening, and fell below flood stage just after midnight on the 2nd. The flooding was minor and confined to low-lying areas along the river.

Flood, Fremont

When
October 1, 6:15 PM CST to 7:15 PM CST
Where
Fremont County, 4.53 mi WSW of Percival to 4.18 mi NW of Percival
Cause
Heavy Rain
Crop damage
$10,000
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
40.732, -95.883

Heavy rainfall in late September led to river flooding into early October along the Missouri River. The river briefly rose to flood stage in the evening on the 1st, crested just above flood stage and fell below flood stage on the same evening. The flooding was minor and confined to low-lying areas along the river.

Flood, Montgomery

When
October 1, 11:41 PM CST to October 2, 8:04 PM CST
Where
Montgomery County, 26.15 mi SSW of Climax to 26.62 mi SSW of Climax
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
$10,000
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
40.585, -95.633

Heavy rainfall in late September led to river flooding into early October along the Nishnabotna River. The river rose to flood stage in the late evening of the 1nd, crested in the afternoon of the 2nd, and fell below flood stage that afternoon. The flooding was minor and confined to low-lying areas along the river.

Flood, Montgomery

When
October 2, 3:30 AM CST to 2:22 PM CST
Where
Montgomery County, 17.67 mi SSW of Climax to 17.52 mi SSW of Climax
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
$10,000
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
40.699, -95.570

Heavy rainfall in late September led to river flooding into early October along the East Nishnabotna River. The river rose to flood stage in the early morning of the 2nd, crested later that morning, and fell below flood stage in the mid afternoon. The flooding was minor and confined to low-lying areas along the river.

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

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, October 2014

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 544549, 544550, 544548, 544552, 544551.