3 inches of rain causes flooding in Story County
UPDATE, 11 p.m.: About three inches of rain fell at the Ames airport in an hour Tuesday evening, according to preliminary data from the National Weather Service.
"The Ames airport got hit with quite a heavy thunderstorm," said meteorologist Jim Lee of the National Weather Service office in Johnston.
An automated instrument measured 2.94 inches of rain fell at the Ames airport between 7 and 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Lee said it's not uncommon for Iowa to see three inches of rain in an hour.
"We do see it in Iowa, but the last couple of years, it's been dry, so we haven't seen it in awhile," Lee said.
Plus, it's somewhat unusual for a heavy downpour to happen right over an automated instrument, Lee said.
In addition to rain, Iowa also saw some good-sized hail. The National Weather Service received a report of 2-inch hail in the Dubuque area.
Lee said Iowa seeing 2-inch hail is "not particularly unusual." It certainly is much smaller than the 5-inch hail reported north of Gilbert in Story County in 1998.
UPDATE, 10:05 P.M.: There are no longer any severe thunderstorm warnings in central Iowa, but the intense downpours that contributed to Story County flash flooding tonight could continue.
A power outage that knocked out electricity for about 2,000 Ankeny customers has been repaired, according to MidAmerican Energy's website.
UPDATE, 9:25 P.M.: All of southern Story County was hammered with heavy rainfall tonight, with observers in various locations reporting about 3 inches of rain. Water flowed over many roads and forced police to block off city streets.
MidAmerican Energy reported a power outage affecting almost 2,000 customers in Ankeny, although it was projected to be repaired before 10 p.m.
Strong thunderstorms continued a slow march through central Iowa, with a severe thunderstorm reaching Marshalltown just after 9 p.m.
UPDATE, 8:30 P.M.: Police officers and dispatchers in Ames and other spots in Story County reported street flooding after a storm dropped heavy rain tonight.
A flash flood warning was issued near Maxwell. Tree limbs also were reported down there.
Ames has received over 3 inches of rain today from storms that continued to run through Story County all evening.
At 8:30, a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect for storms between Nevada and Baxter that were moving east. Marshall, Story, Jasper and Poweshiek counties were in the warned area.
UPDATE, 7:50 P.M.: Officials are extending severe thunderstorm warnings in southern Story and northern Polk counties as strong winds, heavy rain and hail continue.
Huxley reported a wind gust of 70 mph just before 7:45 p.m. tonight, according to the National Weather Service.
UPDATE, 7:30 P.M.: Hail storms continue to line up in Boone and Story counties this evening.
Western Iowa and eastern Iowa have their own severe weather to worry about, as well.
Hail with a diameter of about 1.75 inches -- the size of a golf ball -- remains the most serious report from tonight's storms. Spotters, law enforcement officers and others have yet to report any significant damage in Iowa to the National Weather Service.
A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect for the central, southern and eastern parts of the state until 11 p.m.
WHO-HD meteorologist Ed Wilson said the rain should go away for at least a couple of days. But the holiday weekend could be soggy.
UPDATE, 6:55 P.M.: Hail the size of golf balls has fallen this evening in the Woodward and Ames areas, spotters tell the National Weather Service.
Central Iowa has been at the center of severe weather for about the past hour. The largest hail was reported in Ames just after 6 p.m. and at Woodward at about 6:45 p.m.
A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect until 7:15 p.m. for parts of Boone, Dallas, Story and Polk counties. The weather service said a storm near Madrid was moving northeast and dropping the large hail.
UPDATE, 6 P.M.: The Ames area can expect 60-mph wind gusts and quarter-size hail between now and 6:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
A new severe thunderstorm warning includes Story County and portions of Boone, Hardin and Marshall counties.
The storm, which is moving east at 30 mph, will cross Interstate Highway 35 from just south of Ames to northern Story County.
UPDATE, 5:30 P.M.: A severe thunderstorm is moving slowly to the east through central Iowa, meteorologists said.
A storm that was near Perry at 5:25 p.m. is moving east at 20 mph, the National Weather Service said. The north-south line of storms is expected to also affect Boone.
The storm warning affects Boone County as well as north-central Dallas County and southeast Greene County until 6 p.m.
UPDATE, 5:15 P.M: There are currently no severe weather warnings in central Iowa, but a strong storm is pushing through Boone and Dallas counties toward the Ames and Ankeny areas. Severe thunderstorm warnings continue to be issued in eastern Iowa east of Cedar Rapids.
UPDATE, 4:45 P.M.: Several severe thunderstorms have already formed this afternoon.
Parts of Audubon, Benton, Carroll, Guthrie, Linn and Shelby counties had severe thunderstorm warnings at 4:45 p.m., warning of high winds and hail. The storms involved were moving east, the National Weather Service said.
KWWL-TV in Waterloo reported quarter-size hail near Urbana. No damage was immediately reported to the weather service.
EARLIER: The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch in effect until 11 p.m. for central, south-central and eastern Iowa.
Thunderstorms are in the forecast for this evening; the watch means conditions are favorable for storms with strong winds and hail, as well as heavy rain.
Here is the list of affected counties:
ADAIR
ADAMS
APPANOOSE
AUDUBON
BENTON
BLACK HAWK
BOONE
BUCHANAN
CARROLL
CASS
CEDAR
CLARKE
CLINTON
DALLAS
DAVIS
DECATUR
DELAWARE
DUBUQUE
GREENE
GRUNDY
GUTHRIE
HAMILTON
HARDIN
IOWA
JACKSON
JASPER
JEFFERSON
JOHNSON
JONES
KEOKUK
LINN
LOUISA
LUCAS
MADISON
MAHASKA
MARION
MARSHALL
MONROE
MUSCATINE
POLK
POWESHIEK
RINGGOLD
SCOTT
STORY
TAMA
TAYLOR
UNION
WAPELLO
WARREN
WASHINGTON
WAYNE