Flash Flood in Iowa
Every flash flood event the National Weather Service has filed in Iowa, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
The most significant on the map
The most significant flash flood episodes in Iowa.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 2,627
- Deaths
- 10
- Injuries
- 14
- Damage
- $443 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, June 11 to 13, 2008A very strong and unseasonably cold upper level low pressure system that was tracking across the northern plains brought a strong low level jet to the region during the early morning hours of June 11th.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, June 7 to 11, 2008Low pressure developed over Kansas with a strong southerly flow of very moist air streaming into Iowa ahead of it. Surface temperatures warmed into the 80s with dew point readings in the low to mid 70s.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Iowa, August 10 to 12, 2010Once again the atmosphere over Iowa became very unstable during the peak heating of the day. CAPE rose to 3500-4500 J/kg by the mid to late afternoon with lifted indices of -8 to -10 C.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, May 21 to 22, 2004A very unstable airmass was over Iowa and helped kick off the seasons first severe weather outbreak. At the surface a warm frontal boundary extended nearly east to west across the state and provided the focus for thunderstorm development.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, May 25 to 26, 2008Heavy rain-producing showers and thunderstorms moved across much of eastern Iowa and northwest and west central Illinois from the evening of May 25th to the early morning of May 26th. Some of the stronger storms also produced tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, June 16 to 17, 2014A very dynamic weather pattern was in place over over Iowa. A warm front lifted north into the state. Temperatures warmed in the 80s with dew point readings in the upper 60s to mid 70s.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, June 30, 2014A very dynamic pattern was in place over the state with a closed low located over southern Canada into the north central U.S. A very strong jet of 85 to 100 kts as present at 250 mb. CAPE by early morning was already 3000 to 4000 J/kg with downdraft CAPE of 1000 to 1400 J/kg.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, July 14 to 15, 2021A surface low pressure system was centered over Kansas and Nebraska with attendant warm front draped across north central Iowa. This was bisected by an outflow boundary from morning convection across western Iowa.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, June 12 to 13, 2013Low pressure moved northeast out of north central Kansas into central Iowa by mid day on the 12th, then into northern Illinois by evening. A strong push of very warm and humid air pushed into the state south of the warm front extending east from the low.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, May 29 to 30, 2008A very unstable airmass moved into Iowa during the day on the 29th as a warm front lifted north into the state during the afternoon.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, March 12 to 31, 2019A 971mb bomb cyclone moved out of the central Rockies on Wednesday, March 13, 2019 and helped to create widespread, moderate to major, and in many cases historic, flooding across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, June 30, 2018A frontal boundary was draped across areas just west of Iowa during the morning hours of June 30th, and slowly moved eastward into the state throughout the day.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, April 14 to 15, 2012The first significant severe weather outbreak of the season took place during the afternoon and evening of the 14th with all modes of severe weather taking place. An upper level low pressure lifted northeast out of the southwest U.S.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, August 23 to 27, 2016Repeated rounds of thunderstorms with heavy rains moved across portions of northeast Iowa during the evening of August 23rd into the early morning hours of the 24th.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, June 22, 2015In the afternoon storms fired up ahead of and along a cold front that was entering Iowa from the northwest. Numerous storms had severe hail, produced damaging winds, and two tornadoes.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Iowa, May 26 to 27, 2013The continued series of thunderstorms moved across Iowa during the afternoon of the 26th and through the overnight hours of the 26th into the 27th. A stationary front remained in place from central Nebraska into northern Missouri.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, July 27 to 28, 2008A very unstable airmass was in place over Iowa as a warm front lifted north slowly into the state. The warm air had moved in aloft as freezing levels increased from 14,600 feet in the morning, to 16,200 by the evening hours.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, July 2 to 3, 1999A very active weather pattern was in place over the central U.S. A strong west-northwest wind flow was in place over the state. Meanwhile a warm front was lifting north from the southern Plains.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, August 31, 2014An unstable airmass was in place across Iowa with afternoon highs reaching well into the 80s, and dewpoint readings in the low to mid 70s. CAPE rose to 2000 to 3000 J/kg.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, May 10, 2001A cold front frontal system located to the northwest of Iowa began to sink southeast into the state during the late afternoon of the 10th. This was in fact the same cold front that set off the thunderstorm activity the previous night.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, June 23 to 25, 2015A slowly northward moving boundary/warm front was draped across the area throughout the day. By the evening vigorous storms fired up just north of the boundary and continued as the low level jet began to pick up. Numerous reports of large hail and damaging winds were reported.
- Flash Flooding in Iowa, July 18 to 19, 1999As much as 8 inches of rain caused flash flooding over portions of northeast Iowa. Hardest hit were Rockford and Nora Springs (Floyd County) where an earthen dike washed away and a dam was breached.
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Iowa, June 1, 2010A cold front moved into Iowa from the northwest, while a warm front pushed into the southwest part of Iowa from the south during the afternoon and evening hours.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, June 22, 2007A rather complex weather situation unfolded during the day on the 22nd. The situation was complicated by the convection that occurred during the previous night.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, May 22 to 23, 2004The synoptic situation was very similar to what it was the previous day. A complex weather situation was in place due to the convection from the previous night. An outflow boundary extended east to west across northern Missouri.
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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 2026-09-24.