(Des Moines) Some areas of northwest Iowa received more than half a year’s worth of rain during the final week of June, leading to significant flooding conditions, according to the latest Water Summary Update.
June’s preliminary statewide rainfall average was 5.22 inches. However, precipitation totals varied significantly across different regions of the state.
In northwest Iowa, Lake Park received 18.46 inches of rainfall during June, while the Rathbun Dam area only saw 1.96 inches. Some areas of southern and southeastern Iowa received below normal precipitation for the month, despite the historic rainfall.
The trend of wetter than normal months ended in June, with monthly average rainfall just below the statewide average. The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) shows less than one percent of Iowa as abnormally dry, the lowest for the state in 218 weeks.
For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, visit www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.
