Iowa, 2018

Flooding in Iowa, June 14 to 30, 2018

June 14 to 30, 2018 · NWS FSD · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

With already high water levels from periodic early June rains, starting June 20, the area was impacted adversely by several very slow moving mid-level waves which drifted across the northern and central Plains and interacted with a nearly stationary region of baroclinicity during the following week. High precipitable water and persistent lift forcing resulted in a widespread 3 to 6 inches of…

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
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 FSD wrote it up.

With already high water levels from periodic early June rains, starting June 20, the area was impacted adversely by several very slow moving mid-level waves which drifted across the northern and central Plains and interacted with a nearly stationary region of baroclinicity during the following week. High precipitable water and persistent lift forcing resulted in a widespread 3 to 6 inches of rainfall in the lower portions of the basin, with amounts from 7 to 11 inches around the Iowa Great Lakes. Crop and pasture land was inundated for almost a month, along with many roads and city parks.

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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 14, 5:00 PM CST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 14, 5:00 PM CST, 3 hours before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 14, 11:39 AM CST, 8 hours 21 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 14, 4:17 PM CST, 3 hours 43 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jun 14, 4:22 PM CST, 3 hours 38 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

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Clay

When
June 14, 8:00 PM CST to June 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Clay County, 2.53 mi E of Greenville to 2.07 mi WSW of Cornell
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.020, -95.100

A week of prolific rainfall ending June 26 resulted in a widespread 4 to 7 inches of rainfall, much of which occurred on June 20 and 24. Specific weekly totals included 3.65 4 miles east of Sioux Rapids, 4.03 at Spencer and 6.70 near Everly. Record flooding occurred with significant amounts of crop and pasture land inundated, as well as the city park in Sioux Rapids as the river crested at Linn Grove (gage site LNNI4) at 5.4 feet above flood stage on June 27. The river remained in major flood stage at the end of the month.

Flood, Buena Vista

When
June 14, 8:00 PM CST to June 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Buena Vista County, 3.66 mi NE of Sioux Rapids to 1.67 mi WNW of Linn Grove
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
42.910, -95.090

A week of prolific rainfall ending June 26 resulted in a widespread 4 to 7 inches of rainfall, much of which occurred on June 20 and 24. Specific weekly totals included 3.65 4 miles east of Sioux Rapids, 4.03 at Spencer and 6.70 near Everly. Record flooding occurred with significant amounts of crop and pasture land inundated, as well as the city park in Sioux Rapids as the river crested at Linn Grove (gage site LNNI4) at 5.4 feet above flood stage on June 27. The river remained in major flood stage at the end of the month.

Flood, O'Brien

When
June 14, 8:00 PM CST to June 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
O'Brien County, 3.61 mi E of Sutherland to 5.76 mi ESE of Sutherland
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
42.960, -95.430

A week of prolific rainfall ending June 26 resulted in a widespread 4 to 7 inches of rainfall, much of which occurred on June 20 and 24. Specific weekly totals included 3.65 4 miles east of Sioux Rapids, 4.03 at Spencer and 6.70 near Everly. Record flooding occurred with significant amounts of crop and pasture land inundated, as well as the city park in Sioux Rapids as the river crested at Linn Grove (gage site LNNI4) at 5.4 feet above flood stage on June 27. The river remained in major flood stage at the end of the month.

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 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, June 2018

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 765957, 765958, 765959.