The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Des Moines has issued a flash flood watch from 1 p.m. Wednesday until Thursday morning for a large portion of central and western Iowa.
The flash flood watch is in effect for the central Iowa counties of Boone, Dallas, Hamilton, Polk, Story and Webster, the north-central Iowa counties of Humboldt Kossuth, and Wright, the northwest Iowa counties of Emmet, Palo Alto and Pocahontas, the south-central Iowa county of Madison, the southwest Iowa counties of Adair and Cass and the west-central Iowa counties of Audubon, Calhoun, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, Guthrie and Sac.
A widespread swath of rain — falling in amounts from 1.5 to 3 inches, with locally higher amounts up to 4 to 5 inches — is anticipated Wednesday afternoon into early Thursday. The heavy rain will fall on top of grund already saturated from recent rains earlier this week.
Intense rainfall rates are likely with these storms, and 2- to 4-inch-per-hour rates will be common Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Travelers shoud be prepared for water over roads following rapid rises in creeks and streams or even water flowing from farm fields. If a roadway is closed or if water is running over it, find an alternate route.
Turn around. Don’t drown.
Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. Monitor later forecasts, and be prepared to take action should a flash flood warnings be issued.
ThePerryNews.com will update this weather report as information becomes available.
