A flood watch remains in effect for the Perry area until further notice, the National Weather Service said in a statement issued Monday morning.
The flood watch will continue for the North Raccoon River near Perry or from the Greene-Dallas County line to Adel.
At 5:15 a.m. Monday, the North Raccoon River was measured at 9.8 feet or 5.2 feet below flood stage. Flood stage is 15 feet.
No flooding is now occurring, but major flooding is forecast, according to the NWS. The river is forecast to rise to flood stage Tuesday morning and continue rising to 21.4 feet or 6.4 feet above flood stage by Friday morning.
The NWS said there “is limited confidence in this river forecast. Forecasts may change, so monitor for updated information.”
A flood watch is also in effect until midday Sunday for the North and South Raccoon Rivers between Van Meter and Walnut Woods State Park.
At 5 a.m. Monday, the river was measured at 8.3 feet or 8.7 feet below flood stage. Flood stage is 17 feet.
No flooding is now occurring, but minor flooding is forecast, according to the NWS. The river is forecast to rise to flood stage Thursday morning and continue rising to 18.2 feet or 1.2 feet above flood stage by early Saturday morning and then begin falling to below flood stage by midday Sunday.
The NWS again said there “is limited confidence in this river forecast. Forecasts may change, so monitor for updated information.”
For the Perry area, heavy rain is expected to begin Monday morning, with additional bouts Monday night and again Tuesday and Tuesday night. Total rainfall accumulations after multiple days might reach as high as three to six inches, the NWS said.
The combination of saturated soils and heavy rainfall will lead to significant runoff into area streams and might result in extensive overland flooding and ponding water, the NWS said. Localized flash flooding might also occur. In addition, widespread river flooding could occur across the northern half of Iowa.
ThePerryNews.com will update this weather story as information becomes available.
