Iowa, 2018

Flooding in Iowa, October 1 to 21, 2018

October 1 to 21, 2018 · NWS DVN · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A prolonged and exceptionally wet fall combined with successive flash flood events in eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois to bring widespread minor to moderate river flooding to nearly all rivers in this area. In addition, major flooding occurred on rivers, including the Mississippi, Iowa, Wapsipinicon, English, North Skunk, Maquoketa, and Rock Rivers.

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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 DVN wrote it up.

A prolonged and exceptionally wet fall combined with successive flash flood events in eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois to bring widespread minor to moderate river flooding to nearly all rivers in this area. In addition, major flooding occurred on rivers, including the Mississippi, Iowa, Wapsipinicon, English, North Skunk, Maquoketa, and Rock Rivers. This major flood event stretched through much of mid October.

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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 30, 10:41 PM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 30, 10:41 PM CST, 1 hour 19 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

2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Clinton

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 21, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Clinton County, 2.6 mi N of Camanche to 3.26 mi SE of Big Rock
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
41.708, -90.346

An extended flood took place on the lower Wapsipinicon River October, 2018. Major flooding was ongoing at the De Witt (4 miles south) gage, from September at the start of the month of October and continued with only a short 1 day break on the 5th, all the way to October 21 at 1 AM when it fell below major flood stage of 12.5 feet. The river crested at 13.9 feet at 730 AM, October 7th.

Flood, Scott

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 21, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Scott County, 1.88 mi E of Dixon to 1.17 mi WNW of Gambrill
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
41.747, -90.744

An extended flood took place on the lower Wapsipinicon River October, 2018. Major flooding was ongoing at the De Witt (4 miles south) gage, from September at the start of the month of October and continued with only a short 1 day break on the 5th, all the way to October 21 at 1 AM when it fell below major flood stage of 12.5 feet. The river crested at 13.9 feet at 730 AM, October 7th.

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, October 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: 789205, 789207.