Flooding expected next week in Iowa from snow melt, rain MAP

DES MOINES, Iowa - All the snow piled up in Iowa, and much more north of Iowa in Minnesota and Wisconsin will be melting over the next several days, and running into streams and rivers.

Add to that, we're expecting rain in much of Iowa this weekend.

"That warmer weather will be accompanied by appreciable rainfall that will be coincident with the snow melt." Says National Weather Service Meteorologist Brad Small.

"Next week will be kind of a worst-cast scenario." He says.

The Mississippi River corridor on the Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin border has a greater than 50-percent likelihood of major flooding. This includes the Quad Cities area.

The Cedar River from St. Charles through Waterloo and Cedar Rapids, down into Southeastern Iowa also has a better than 50-percent risk of moderate to major flooding.

In the Des Moines region, the Des Moines River is expected to flood by mid-week, but much of the extra water volume will be held by the Saylorville Reservoir. There is a chance of major flooding at SE 6th Street. The Racoon River at Fleur has a greater than 50-percent risk of moderate flooding.

That melting snow represents 2-4 inches of liquid, and Small says we'll see flooding in many areas of the state by the middle of next week.

CLICK HERE for interactive USGS NOAA Iowa River flood map.


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