Walnut Creek in Clive flooded Thursday after heavy rains.
There’s flooding in many parts of central and southern Iowa this morning after as much as seven inches of rain Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Many local and state roads are underwater and while Interstates 35 and 80 are still open in the Des Moines area, they’re threatened.
Jeff Zogg, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Johnston, says it’s the worst flooding on the Raccoon River in a long time.
“It was a pretty high-end rainfall event across central Iowa translated to some pretty significant flooding and the crest has yet to arrive in Des Moines,” Zogg says.
The crest may arrive in central Iowa this afternoon. The flooding has closed a portion of Fleur Drive in Des Moines, a main road from downtown to the airport. Zogg says the flooded waterways likely won’t start to recede until later this afternoon or tonight. “We’re not expecting any record flooding in any locations along the Raccoon River, but definitely some pretty significant flooding,” Zogg says, “the worst flooding we’ve seen on the Raccoon in some time, especially along the whole stretch of the Raccoon.”
There’s a chance for showers and thunderstorms today in central Iowa but he says it likely won’t have a significant impact on river levels.