Flash Flood — Cherokee, Iowa

2025-08-09 · near Cherokee, Cherokee, Iowa

Event narrative

Pictures showed significant street flooding in lower areas on the southeast side of Cherokee.

Wider weather episode

Scattered thunderstorms developed along a strong frontal boundary, which moved across northwest Iowa late in the night of August 8 and early morning of August 9. The thunderstorms were within an environment of marginal shear and decent MUCAPE around 1500 J/kg, and high amounts of moisture led to brief excessive rainfall rates. The heaviest rainfall was focused around Cherokee, where from 1.50 to 3.00 inches of rainfall occurred in a couple hours, leading to brief flash flooding.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.7426, -95.5431)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1290491. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.