Heavy Rain in Iowa

Events

3,554

Deaths

0

Injuries

0

Damage

$1.7 million

• Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, May 25, 20089 deaths · 70 injured · $102 million · EF5 · 115 eventsA very intense upper low was located over the southwest U.S. and lifted northeast during the weekend of the 24th into the morning of the 26th.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, June 7 to 11, 20082 deaths · $4.5 million · EF1 · 126 eventsLow 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, 20101 death · 4 injured · $52 million · EF0 · 64 eventsOnce 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, June 16 to 17, 20141 death · $3.2 million · EF1 · 91 eventsA 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, 2014$17 million · EF2 · 138 eventsA 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, 2021$3.9 million · EF3 · 48 eventsA 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, 2013$2.0 million · EF3 · 53 eventsLow 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, 200811 injured · $3.0 million · EF2 · 70 eventsA 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, June 30, 20181 death · $9.0 million · 1.5 in hail · 58 eventsA 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 Hail in Iowa, August 19 to 20, 20191 injured · $748,000 · EF3 · 41 eventsGenerally speaking, a bit of everything occurred during an overnight/early morning severe mesoscale convective system that rolled across Iowa.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, April 14 to 15, 20122 injured · $7.3 million · EF2 · 104 eventsThe 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, 20161 death · $7.3 million · 35 eventsRepeated 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.
• Tornado and Flash Flooding in Iowa, May 26 to 27, 20131 death · $2.3 million · EF0 · 32 eventsThe 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, 2008$3.5 million · EF1 · 159 eventsA 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, August 31, 20141 injured · $2.1 million · EF1 · 144 eventsAn 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.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, June 23 to 25, 2015$4.7 million · 3.5 in hail · 156 eventsA 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.
• Tornado and Flash Flood in Iowa, June 1, 2010$4.8 million · EF2 · 56 eventsA 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, May 5 to 6, 2007$19 million · EF2 · 21 eventsA warm front that was along the Kansas and Nebraska border early Saturday morning May 5th, lifted north during the day bringing widespread heavy rain and severe weather, including tornadoes, to eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, November 11 to 12, 20151 injured · $2.0 million · EF2 · 59 eventsWidespread wind and tornado damage occurred in central Iowa as a result of a low pressure system that raced across the state.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, March 22, 2011$1.3 million · EF2 · 64 eventsLow pressure formed to the west of Iowa and during the morning it was located over central Nebraska with a warm front extending east-southeast across southern Iowa. The low advanced east during the day as the warm front moved little.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, May 20 to 22, 2024$1.1 million · 2 in hail · 156 eventsPLEASE NOTE, for tornadoes, please see separate Storm Data entry for May 21st. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms brought torrential rainfall, damaging winds, hail and destructive tornadoes to the state.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Iowa, May 11 to 12, 2014$2.1 million · EF2 · 31 eventsLow pressure over Kansas moved northeast during the afternoon of the 11th into the morning of the 12th. By dawn on the 12th, the low was over northeast Kansas. A cold frontal boundary extended northeast from the low into northwest Iowa.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, July 28 to 30, 2015$7.5 million · 1 in hail · 98 eventsA boundary was pushing through the state with ongoing convection through central Iowa through the day. As the boundary neared the area, the convection intensified and impacted central and southern Iowa in the evening to early morning hours.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, September 9 to 12, 2014$4.5 million · 2 in hail · 108 eventsDeep moisture moved into Iowa as a strong shortwave moved into the central U.S. Moisture from former hurricane Norbert moved into the central U.S. as a low pressure system developed over Kansas.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Iowa, May 23, 20041 death · 1 injured · $110,000 · 57 kt wind · 13 eventsA persistent stationary front continued to remain across Iowa and Northern Illinois. Two squall lines developed in the late afternoon in Western Iowa, one north and one south of the stationary front. These squall lines raced east across Eastern Iowa and Northern Illinois.

Heavy Rain everywhereEvery kind of event in Iowa

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.