A powerful line of thunderstorms rolled across Iowa from late Thursday, July 10, through Friday, July 11, dumping more than 2 inches of rain across parts of the Des Moines metro and beyond. The system brought heavy downpours, frequent lightning, and flash flood warnings, especially across central Iowa.
In Des Moines, the storm delivered a soaking 2.31 inches of rain (58.7 mm) by the end of the day Friday, according to data from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Just to the north, Ankeny measured nearly 2.04 inches (51.8 mm), while Ames, further north, topped the list locally with 2.86 inches (72.6 mm).
The rainfall triggered flooding in some neighborhoods, including parts of Ames, where standing water caused travel disruptions. Over in Newton, storm watchers noticed rotating cloud formations near the Iowa Speedway, prompting a tornado warning that led fans to shelter in place ahead of the Sukup IndyCar Race weekend. Organizers cancelled Friday’s practice due to the severe weather threat.
A second wave of storms moved through Friday afternoon, keeping much of central Iowa under a weather alert for most of the day. Rain totals continued to rise into Saturday, July 12, with several towns across the region reporting significant rainfall.
