Storms cause power outages, flooding in central Iowa

Lightning illuminated the black sky on the last day of August as sheets of rain fell in the capital, flooding streets and knocking out electricity. About 2,250 people were still without power in central Iowa shortly before midnight.

A flash flood warning until 4:15 a.m. Monday was issued for Polk and Dallas counties late Sunday night as the downpour overwhelmed storm sewers.

Some Des Moines-area motorists who drove through the rain-flooded streets stalled their cars, dispatch reports indicated. Waist-high water flooded cars at the Iowa State Fairgrounds and left some participants in the Iowa Gold Star Arabian Horse Show stranded as they tried to move horses to higher ground, according to Register staff reports.

One person was struck by lightning, a dam failure flooded a highway and as much as 3.6 inches fell in about two hours — all in Crawford County — during the Sunday afternoon and evening of severe weather in Iowa.

The National Weather Service received a report of one person injured by lightning during the storms, but the severity and details about the incident were not available late Sunday.

The strike occurred east of Denison, said Gregory Miller, Crawford County emergency management coordinator.

Heavy rains broke through a farm retention dam in Denison, flooding Iowa Highway 39. Several highways in Crawford County were covered at various points during the storm, Miller said.

Officials were closely monitoring another dam near Iowa Highway 141.

"We're bank full right now," Miller said.

Winds gusting as fast as 60 mph toppled campers near Denison, snapped tree limbs and pulled loose power lines.

MidAmerican Energy reported more than 6,000 customers without power statewide shortly after midnight.

No tornadoes were officially confirmed Sunday, though storm spotters reported funnel clouds near Vail in Crawford County and Boone in Boone County.

Winds gusted as fast as 80 mph at Yale and Bayard in Guthrie County, according to weather service storm spotters.

Winds whipped Iowa Falls at 66 mph in Hardin County. Steamboat Rock, also in Hardin, and Rockford in Floyd County, also reported 60 mph winds.

In the Des Moines metro, tree damage was reported in Windsor Heights, Urbandale and Waukee by about 9:40 p.m. Sunday. Winds were reported as fast as 69 mph near Norwalk in Warren County.

The storm slowly lost steam as it rumbled across the state, though strong winds continued to lash the Hawkeye State as it moved east.

Monday's holiday forecast is expected to be cooler and drier, just the kind of weather for cleaning up storm debris and floodwater damage.