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Rain & rivers

Rain expected and rain that fell, and the gauges at action stage or above in Iowa, each with NWS’s forecast. Flood warnings are the Live tracker’s.

Observed gauges / Forecast gauges / NWS warnings: feeds current

Observed gauges: Feed current; checked .

Forecast gauges: Feed current; checked .

NWS warnings: Feed current; checked .

Checked means retrieved, not newly issued. Each graphic retains its issue, observation, initialization or valid time. Site publishing status is separate.

Minor flooding

Iowa River at Marengo, IA

Gauge
River gauge · MROI4 · NWS DVN
Observed
Observed 15.47 ft at : minor flooding
Forecast
Forecast issued · highest 15.5 ft at · below flood stage (15 ft) by : minor flooding
Stages
Action 13 ft · Flood (minor) 15 ft · Moderate 17 ft · Major 19 ft
Forecasts
Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available.

Forecast hydrograph

Forecast stage at Marengo, in ftNWS forecast for Marengo, issued 8 Nov 15:15Z: highest 15.5 ft at 8 Nov 18:00Z. Flood stage is 15 ft; the forecast falls below it by 10 Nov 06:00Z. Observed 15.47 ft at 8 Nov 17:00Z.10121416189 Nov 00Z11 Nov 00Z13 Nov 00Z15 Nov 00ZAction 13 ftFlood (minor) 15 ftModerate 17 ftNowObservedUTCft
NWS forecast, issued : the line is the forecast stage, each dot one of NWS’s points; the ringed dot is the latest observation, when one at action stage or above is held. Earlier observations are not held here, so no observed line is drawn. Higher stages not drawn: major 19 ft. Minor flooding at its worst, observed or forecast. Data: NOAA/NWPS.
The forecast points as a table
TimeStage
15.5 ft
15.5 ft
15.5 ft
15.5 ft
15.4 ft
15.1 ft
14.7 ft
14.1 ft
13.5 ft
13.1 ft
12.8 ft
12.6 ft
12.5 ft
12.3 ft
12.2 ft
12.1 ft
11.9 ft
11.8 ft
11.7 ft
11.6 ft
11.5 ft
11.4 ft
11.3 ft
11.2 ft
11.1 ft
11 ft
10.9 ft
10.9 ft

What NWS lists at this gauge

  • 15 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the levee surrounding Marengo. Water affects low lying agricultural land along the river
  • 14 ft: Low lying agricultural land and pastureland along the river upstream of Marengo is affected.
  • 11 ft: Water affects the lowest agricultural land along the river.

NWS’s statements for this gauge’s water at each stage, up to the highest observed or forecast. A gauge does not say whether a particular road or neighbourhood near it floods. Read .

NWPS’s page for MROI4 On the Live tracker’s map River flood warnings in Iowa

Rain and rivers in Iowa

  • Expected rain: below WPC’s lowest contour (0.01 in) in Iowa, in WPC’s forecast for the 24 hours to . An amount for the area its contour covers, not a total for any one street.
  • Rain that fell: under 0.01 in at its highest in Iowa, in the 24 hours to , by MRMS’s radar estimate over a grid about 5 km across: a measurement of the past, not corrected to rain gauges.
  • Rivers: 2 gauges in flood in Iowa, by NWS’s lists read . Minor flooding Iowa River at Belle Plaine, IA. Observed 15.46 ft at : minor flooding. No forecast at action stage or above. And 1 more. A gauge measures its river at that spot, not whether a road or a neighbourhood floods.

Three sources, each its own window. None is a chance of flash flooding, which is WPC’s outlook above; a flash flood is a warning’s. Gauges in the Live tracker

On the Briefing’s map

River, coastal and lake gauges in Iowa

Two gauges in flood in Iowa, observed or forecast. Choose one for its forecast hydrograph.

Minor flooding 2

  1. Observed: minor flooding Iowa River at Belle Plaine, IAObserved 15.46 ft at : minor flooding
  2. Observed: minor flooding Iowa River at Marengo, IAObserved 15.47 ft at : minor floodingForecast issued · highest 15.5 ft at · below flood stage (15 ft) by : minor flooding
Action stage, not flooding 6

Action stage is the level at which NWS and local officials begin to act; the water is not yet at flood stage.

  1. Observed: action stage Raccoon River at Des Moines Fleur Dr, IAObserved 9.06 ft at : action stageForecast issued · highest 9.1 ft at : action stage
  2. Observed: action stage Iowa River at Marshalltown, IAObserved 14.18 ft at : action stageForecast issued · highest 14.2 ft at : action stage
  3. Forecast: action stage Iowa River at Oakville, IANot flooding now: observed below action stage (where officials start to act), or not reporting. Listed for its forecast.Forecast issued · highest 8.2 ft at : action stage
  4. Observed: action stage North Skunk River at Sigourney, IAObserved 15.49 ft at : action stageForecast issued · highest 15.2 ft at : action stage
  5. Forecast: action stage Iowa River at Wapello, IANot flooding now: observed below action stage (where officials start to act), or not reporting. Listed for its forecast.Forecast issued · highest 18.6 ft at : action stage
  6. Observed: action stage Cedar River at Waterloo, IAObserved 8.53 ft at : action stageForecast issued · highest 8.5 ft at : action stage

A gauge measures its water at that one place. Flash flooding, which comes in hours from heavy rain, is in the warnings as Flash Flood Warnings; a river can be in flood with no rain falling.

Gauges observed checked · Data: NOAA/NWS

Gauges forecast checked · Data: NOAA/NWS

Gauge impacts and forecasts checked · Data: NOAA/NWPS

Iowa flash-flood briefing

Not an official warning service. Warnings and watches are the National Weather Service’s, outlooks and reports the Storm Prediction Center’s and the Weather Prediction Center’s (Data: NOAA/NWS, NOAA/SPC, NOAA/WPC). When a warning is issued for you, act on it, and use weather.gov or a NOAA Weather Radio for where you are.