Heavy rain fell over portions of northern Iowa, especially northwestern Iowa and bordering states later on June 20 through early on June 21. This rainfall caused flash flooding in portions of northwest Iowa and also aided in saturating the soil.
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.
Heavy rain fell over portions of northern Iowa, especially northwestern Iowa and bordering states later on June 20 through early on June 21. This rainfall caused flash flooding in portions of northwest Iowa and also aided in saturating the soil. As another round of heavy rain fell later on June 21 into the night and morning of June 22, this rainfall led to renewed flash flooding. This rainfall made its way into streams and rivers resulting in significant and record river flooding in northwest Iowa including the West Fork of the Des Moines River. Flooding resulted in massive sandbagging efforts, prolonged road closures and damages, and impacts to home and businesses.
Note: damage estimates are taken from Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department and represent total flood damages for the entire county for the month of June. Damages are estimated to have surpassed $12 million in June.
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 Jun 21, 5:51 AM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 651 AM CDT Fri Jun 21 2024 ...Updated for the 12z Aviation Discussion... .KEY MESSAGES... - Flood Watches now starting this morning for northern counties as heavy rain moves in from the west. Heaviest rain still anticipated for tonight across northern Iowa, especially nearest to the state line. - Rainfall amounts along the front will be 3 to 5 inches with locally higher amounts at or exceeding 7 inches possible. Flash flooding and river flooding impacts possible. - In addition to heavy rain, severe weather will be possible this evening for the north as well as Saturday afternoon for much of the area. Both days: Damaging winds and a tornado or two possible. Hail possible, but confidence is lower. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 402 AM CDT Fri Jun 21 2024 The nocturnal LLJ has veered over into NW Iowa overnight with an MUCAPE axis near 1000 J/kg supporting an MCS entering into the state. The MCS has slowed its progression, following the Corfidi vectors and sinking to the southeast and feeding more into the instability. The cold pool from the MCS is forming training storms as the mean wind carries the new updrafts northeast. CAMs have not handled tonight's storms well and continue to initialize poorly, so here's the theory on evolution over the next few hours: seeing that the MCS is halting its southward extent, current thinking is that overall cluster will take an eastern track and turn northeast. This outcome would bring heavy rain into northern counties this morning before the H850 boundary is pushed into Minnesota. Have elected to start the Flood Watch this morning instead of tonight to capture the heavy rain potential. Can expect 1-2 inches with morning storms with some locally higher amounts, but as the storms have decreased in intensity over the last couple of hours, not expecting the 5+ inches found on personal weather stations near Sioux Falls. Through the morning and afternoon, a cold pool from the overnight convection will sink into the state today as the nocturnal jet weakens. Have kept rain chances in the north for all of today as soundings hold onto moisture in a weakly capped environment. At the very least, northern Iowa can expect to be in cloud cover today with highs held into the low 80s and perhaps even some 70s. Further south, cumulus clouds will blanket the skies by the afternoon with a non-zero chance of rain. Highs will be in the 80s. A shortwave will approach from the west later this evening with deep layer shear values exceeding 30kts. 0-3km shear will be further enhanced by the return of the LLJ, elongating the lower portion of the hodograph. MUCAPE axis with values near 2000 J/kg will build in through the afternoon in the warm sector. Wherever the surface boundary finds itself this afternoon, all modes of severe weather are on the table for this evening. Confidence in hail is lower due to the warm clouds depths and saturated profiles. Wind threat remains as potent cold pools from rain-cooled air surge out. For tornadoes, LCLs are predictably very low with all of the present moisture and the LLJ-influenced hodographs yield favorable SRH values. The best chance for tornadoes will be immediately along the surface front, the location of which is estimated by the 5% outline. As storms evolve more into a heavy rain threat overnight tonight, the LLJ angles across Iowa, with its front located somewhere near the IA-MN border. PWATs exceed 2 inches, warm cloud depths are over 4000m and the entirety of the profile appears saturated. Speaking to how models have handled the overall pattern for most of this week, they have consistently been too far north in QPF placement. So in turn, not confident in a solution such as the 06z HRRR that tries to trend northward. WPC Excessive Rainfall Outlooks have accounted for this well with an southern expansion beyond the main QPF output axis. Areas in the southern part of the moderate risk and in the neighboring slight risk region (or counties just south of the flood watch) should monitor for changes in the forecast as details become more refined today. 3-5 inches of rain is forecasted to fall along the H850 warm front with locally higher amounts in play. The HREF max QPF spread speaks to the possible upper bounds of those local extremes with contours between 7 and 10 inches of QPF on the map near the state line. The atmosphere has proven itself capable of this outcome already tonight with a personal weather station south of Sioux Falls recording 9 inches of rain this morning. The wave will remain organized and push east Saturday with its cold front draped across the state. The jet remains enhanced through the day, increasing low level SRH. Shear values exceed 30 kts and MUCAPE values will near 1500 J/kg by the afternoon. The moist profiles will once again benefit damaging wind chances and hinder hail chances. A tornado or two will be possible from the aforementioned low level shear. Confidence on storm initiation timing is low and will be better capture by high resolution guidance as less short term convection augments the near storm environment. An upper level ridge blocks the Gulf Sunday and Monday with rain chances returning by the middle of next week. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 1201 PM CDT Fri Jun 21 2024 IFR stratus was developing across northern IA, and that should persist through at least 12z with some contributions from fog development as well. VFR conditions should return area wide later Friday morning however, with mainly dry conditions through the afternoon. Additional convection is expected to develop across northern IA Friday evening however, with sufficient confidence to mention thunder even at this lead time. && .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 644 AM CDT Fri Jun 21 2024 Fog in northeast will lift over the next 2 hours. Showers and storms to move across the north this morning, bringing with it gusty winds. Highest confidence in impacts at KMCW. Cannot rule out scatted showers and low confidence thunderstorms in the north this afternoon, so left in VCSH. More widespread rain and thunderstorms chances expected tonight with the most likely impacted site again KMCW. Have added +TSRA to reflect heaviest rain time period. Sites such as KFOD and KALO are close enough to add mentions southern extent of MVFR cigs and vsbys to be better defined in upcoming issuances. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 326 PM CDT Thu Jun 20 2024 More of the highest QPF axis is anticipated to fall in northern Iowa counties with the highest amounts near the state line. This in turn will lead to faster initial responses from sites as more rain falls into local basins with additional water flowing in from upstream basin areas in Minnesota. The river of most concern remains the Des Moines River north of Saylorville Lake, including both its west and east fork. High confidence in at least Minor Flood Stage for ESVI4, HBTI4, EMTI4, and AGNI4. Higher stages uncertain due to QPF placement discrepancies. The East Fork will be more in play if the more southward trend in rainfall is realized. The Cedar and Winnebago rivers are also of concern as their reaches both extend into southern Minnesota. River forecasts currently available at the time of issuance include 48 hours of rainfall and morning forecasts are also expected to include QPF beyond the usual 24 hours window due to the extended duration of the rainfall event. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch through Saturday afternoon for IAZ004>007-015>017. && DISCUSSION...Jimenez AVIATION...Jimenez HYDROLOGY...Jimenez
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 437 AM CDT Fri Jun 21 2024 IAZ004>007-015>017-221200- Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Cerro Gordo- 437 AM CDT Fri Jun 21 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight A Flood Watch for excessive rainfall is in effect for the area through midday Saturday. Please visit weather.gov/dmx for more details. Showers and thunderstorms will persist at intervals from this morning through tonight, producing locally heavy rainfall. Severe weather will be possible, mainly from this afternoon into early tonight, with damaging winds being the primary threat but hail and a few tornadoes also possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday A Flood Watch for excessive rainfall is in effect for the area through midday Saturday. Please visit weather.gov/dmx for more details. Thunderstorms are forecast at times during the day Saturday, possibly lingering into the late afternoon. Severe weather will be possible, with damaging winds being the primary threat. Additional storm chances return to the forecast by around the middle of next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters may be needed at times between this afternoon and Saturday morning. Severe weather reports, reports of rainfall and any flooding would be appreciated. IAZ023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097-221200- Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Sac-Calhoun- Webster-Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk-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- 437 AM CDT Fri Jun 21 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight Showers and thunderstorms will be possible at intervals from this morning through tonight, with the higher chances toward northern Iowa. A few stronger storms could produce gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall north of Highway 30. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Thunderstorms are forecast at times during the day Saturday and Saturday evening. Severe weather will again be possible, with damaging winds being the primary threat. Additional storm chances return to the forecast by around the middle of next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters may be needed at times between this afternoon and Saturday morning. Severe weather reports, reports of rainfall and any flooding would be appreciated.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The West Fork of the Des Moines at Estherville crested at 18.1 ft on June 24 at 09:00 am CDT. The river remained in flood through the end of the month and into July. Preliminary information indicates this is the new flood of record for the point.
The West Fork of the Des Moines at Emmetsburg crested at 15.47 ft on June 24 at 01:15 pm CDT. The river remained in flood through the end of the month and into July. Preliminary information indicates this is the new flood of record for the point.
The Des Moines at Fort Dodge crested at 17.12 ft on June 27 at 04:30 am CDT. The river remained in flood through the end of the month and into July.
The West Fork of the Des Moines at Humboldt crested at 16.99 ft on June 27 at 02:15 am CDT. The river remained in flood through the end of the month and into July. Preliminary information indicates this is the new flood of record for the point.
The East Fork of the Des Moines at Algona crested at 20.73 ft on June 23 at 05:15 am CDT. The river remained in flood through the end of the month and into July.
The Winnebago River at Mason City crested at 10.96 ft on June 22 at 09:45 pm CDT.
The East Fork of the Des Moines at Dakota City crested at 21.65 ft on June 24 at 01:30 pm CDT.
The Shell Rock River at Shell Rock crested at 12.94 ft on June 24 at 12:30 pm CDT.
The Des Moines at Stratford crested at 21.56 ft on June 27 at 08:15 pm CDT. The river remained in flood through the end of the month and into July.
The Cedar River at Cedar Falls crested at 93.73 ft on June 26 at 03:30 am CDT.
The Cedar River at Janesville crested at 14.36 ft on June 25 at 05:45 pm CDT.
The Cedar River at Waterloo crested at 15.69 ft on June 26 at 11:15 am CDT.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, June 2024
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: 1194208, 1194818, 1194195, 1194209, 1194200, 1194194, 1194201, 1194180, 1194197, 1194178, 1194179, 1194177.