The National Weather Service reports near-record level flooding was occurring this morning, in Des Moines. Due to widespread rainfall of 3 to 5 inches overnight, with some places receiving over 6 inches of rain, water levels along the Raccoon River, the Des Moines River, and Walnut Creek are reaching near-historic levels.

Water has already covered Grand Avenue and has impacted nearby residences and businesses. There have been numerous reports of road closures, water rescues, and evacuations across parts of the Des Moines metro.

The Freese-Notis (podcast) weather forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area, and weather information for Atlantic.

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Flash flooding, a tornado, funnel clouds, large hail and damaging winds were all a part of the most recent storm to pass through western and west central Iowa Wednesday evening into early this (Thursday) morning. The National Weather Service says Adel in Dallas County had 7.1-inches of rain with the recent storm from 5:30-a.m. Wednesday to 4:30-a.m. today (Thursday). Three-miles northeast of Yale, in Guthrie County, a Weather Service employee reported 6.08-inches of rain since 7-a.m., Wednesday, with the total rainfall expected to be much higher.

Extensive flooding was reported this (Thursday) morning throughout Greene County, flash flooding taking place at around 2-a.m. six-miles north-northwest of Jamaica and along Highway 25 south of Scranton. Elsewhere across the area Wednesday evening, hail the size of hen eggs (2-inches in diameter) was reported three-miles south of Brayton at around 7:30-p.m., while other locations, such as Guthrie Center, Menlo, and Winterset experienced golf ball-size hail (1 3/4″ diameter). Half-dollar (1 1/4″) was reported in Redfield, and quarter-sized hail (1″ diameter) was reported at many other locations.

Thunderstorm wind damage was reported to have occurred in Guthrie Center, Menlo, and Earlham, with winds gusting anywhere from 50-to 80-miles per hour. Flash flooding was reported Wednesday evening as well, near Guthrie Center.

A tornado was reported at around 7-p.m. Wednesday six-miles south/southwest of Panora, in Guthrie County, while funnel clouds were observed near Linden, Redfield, Casey, Menlo, and elsewhere. No injuries have been reported.

COUNTIES: CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-ADAIR-MADISON-CLARKE-

…FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS CANCELLED…

FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE AREA THOUGH HEAVY RAINFALL HAS ENDED.

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA…SOUTH
CENTRAL IOWA…SOUTHWEST IOWA AND WEST CENTRAL IOWA HAS BEEN
CANCELLED.

Today: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 8am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 81. North northeast wind 6 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Northeast wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. Northeast wind 7 to 10 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. North northeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

AREA COUNTIES: CRAWFORD-CARROLL–AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS–ADAIR- MADISON…A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM TODAY (THURSDAY).

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS EXTENDED THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR… WESTERN DALLAS COUNTY .. NORTHEASTERN GUTHRIE COUNTY.. SOUTH CENTRAL GREENE COUNTY … UNTIL 715 AM CDT

* AT 345 AM CDT…EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED FLASH FLOODING ACROSS THE WARNED AREA INCLUDING AREAS SUCH AS JAMAICA…BAGLEY…AND BAYARD.

FIVE PLUS INCHES OF RAIN HAVE FALLEN IN LOCATIONS ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. FLASH FLOODING IS ALREADY OCCURRING.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE… GUTHRIE CENTER…DALLAS CENTER…PANORA…LAKE PANORAMA… REDFIELD…BAYARD…BAGLEY…YALE…JAMAICA…LINDEN…DAWSON… LAKIN SLOUGH GAME MANAGEMENT AREA…SPRINGBROOK STATE PARK AND PERRY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODING. TURN AROUND…DONT DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

FREMONT-PAGE COUNTIES IN IA

340 AM CDT THU JUN 25 2015

FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 7-p.m. TODAY (THURSDAY) THROUGH 7-a.m. FRIDAY.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA.

THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT WILL BRING THE RISK OF FLASH FLOODING. AREA STREAMS…CREEKS AND SMALLER RIVERS MAY REACH OR EXCEED BANKFULL. FLOODING MAY OCCUR IN LOW LYING AREAS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

1259 AM CDT THU JUN 25 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES  HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  WARREN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHERN BOONE COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHWESTERN MARION COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  DALLAS COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  NORTHEASTERN MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHEASTERN GUTHRIE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA...
  POLK COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 700 AM CDT THURSDAY

* AT 1255 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS
  WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING INTO THE WARNED AREA. AN ADDITIONAL TWO OR
  MORE INCHES IS POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WARNED AREA...ON
  TOP OF THE HEAVY RAINFALL THAT FELL EARLIER. FLASH FLOODING IS
  EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  DES MOINES...WEST DES MOINES...ANKENY...URBANDALE...JOHNSTON...
  CLIVE...INDIANOLA...ALTOONA...WAUKEE...NORWALK...PLEASANT HILL...
  GRIMES...PERRY...KNOXVILLE...WINTERSET...ADEL...WINDSOR HEIGHTS...
  CARLISLE...BONDURANT AND POLK CITY.

FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ALONG NUMEROUS CREEKS AND SMALL STREAMS IN THE
WARNED AREA. OF PARTICULAR CONCERN IS WALNUT CREEK ON THE WEST SIDE
OF THE DES MOINES METRO AREA...WHICH IS EXPECTED TO GO ABOVE FLOOD
STAGE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE- DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA- CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-APPANOOSE AND DAVIS COUNTIES

…FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT THURSDAY…

RAINFALL RATES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WILL LIKELY EXCEED 2 TO 4 INCHES PER HOUR AND MULTIPLE STORMS MAY PASS OVER THE SAME AREA. PLUS…SEVERAL LOCATIONS HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AND ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IN A SHORT TIME FRAME WILL LEAD TO A SIGNIFICANT FLASH FLOOD THREAT TONIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY EXCEED 3 INCHES WITH SOME LOCATIONS REACHING 5 INCHES.

1238 AM CDT THU JUN 25 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES  HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN CARROLL COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA...
  NORTHEASTERN AUDUBON COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA...
  GUTHRIE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 130 AM CDT

* AT 1238 AM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF COON RAPIDS...OR 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF AUDUBON...
  MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

  HAZARD...HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL.

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED.

  IMPACT...DAMAGE TO VEHICLES IS EXPECTED.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GUTHRIE CENTER...COON RAPIDS...PANORA...LAKE PANORAMA...BAYARD...
  BAGLEY...DEDHAM...YALE...JAMAICA...LAKIN SLOUGH GAME MANAGEMENT
  AREA AND SPRINGBROOK STATE PARK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE HAIL AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING. SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A WELL-BUILT STRUCTURE. STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO
FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.