Ed's Weather Journal

These are pictures from Fort Dodge this morning. Heavy rainfall with over 6 inches in some areas of northwestern Iowa has produced massive flooding.

The top picture is from the Kemna Motors company. You can see the cars for sale with water up to the doors. The second picture is of a flooded intersection. Cars are stalled in the intersection.

Here are some rainfall totals from the storms last night:

5.00" (In three hours) Ft. Dodge

4.80" Webster City

4.20" Manson (Calhoun County)

3.18" Iowa Falls

3.16" Orange City

2.90" Clarion

2.74" Sioux City

There was also significant damage from the storms in Pocahontas last night. Around 2:30 this morning a building at the local CO-OP elevator was badly damaged and an implement shed was taken apart. Large trees were knocked down as the storm moved through the northwest Iowa town. A survey crew has been dispatched by the National Weather Service to see if the damage was the result of straight-line wind or tornadoes.

We knew the heaviest rainfall would be in the northwest corner of the state. It also looked like Des Moines would not see much rainfall...but it was a surprise that we stayed completely dry.

There is a flash flood watch still in effect for much of northern Iowa. A heat advisory is in effect for the southern portion of the state until 8 tonight. Heat index temperatures will reach 100 to 110 in counties south of Interstate 80.