This event is no longer active — it's kept here as a record. Recovery may still be underway; the guidance below applies.
1 concurrent flood warnings — 2 counties affected
Severe flooding affected Polk County and Story County, Iowa on July 21, 2026, with homes in the impact zone exposed to water damage and mold growth.
Overview written from official NOAA / National Weather Service data.
- Type
- Flood Outbreak
- Extent
- ≈ 985,116 acres
- Began
- To end
Affected by this event? Open your area's damage guides below to reach a vetted local restoration pro, 24/7.
Affected area map
Each shaded area is one covered warning's reported footprint — this outbreak groups the 4 warnings listed below, colored by hazard type. Press Play below to watch each footprint appear in the order it was issued. Pan and zoom to explore the map.
Interactive affected-area map
Polk County, IA; Story County, IA · ≈ 1,500 sq mi reported extent · Enable JavaScript to explore the map.
2026-07-21 06:00 UTC · snapshot 4 of 4
Shown as reported by our sources — not an official product. For current advisories and the authoritative map, see NOAA / National Weather Service ↗.
Restoration help near this event
Tap your city for a vetted local pro on that service, answered 24/7. Where we don't have a nearby city page yet, the step-by-step guides cover what to do first.
Water damage restoration
What to do now
Mold remediation
What to do now
Latest updates
Official updates and news coverage for this event, newest first — National Weather Service products, local storm reports, incident updates and press headlines. Official items are verbatim government text; news headlines link out to the original outlet.
- News BlueRidgeNow
Pearson’s Falls and Glen to open after nearly 2 years of Helene recovery
- News The Tryon Daily Bulletin
Polk County Commissioners approve key measures in school funding and emergency management
- Storm report NWS DMX storm report
FLOOD — 3 NNE Des Moines, IA
Water rescue due to flooded roadways.
- Bulletin NWS Des Moines IA
Flood Warning issued
Polk, IA
Show 8 earlier updates
- Rural Radio Network News
- NWS Des Moines IA Bulletin
- NWS Des Moines IA Bulletin
- NWS Des Moines IA Bulletin
- Lakeland Ledger News
Is Polk finished with that tropical system in the Gulf? What to know
- WataugaOnline.com News
- PBS News
Texas Hill Country floods test new warning systems after last year’s deadly disaster
- The Des Moines Register News
Mosquito season has started in Iowa. Here’s what to do about it:
Updates are captured automatically from official and news sources, and may lag the live source. For the very latest, see NOAA / National Weather Service ↗.
Warnings covered
Warnings this outbreak covered
This page tracks the outbreak as a whole; each entry below is one official warning thread with its own live status, map and update log.