Homes were destroyed. Cities torn apart.
Severe weather had a widespread impact in 2018, including confirmed fatalities and requests for federal aid in multiple communities. Here are the Top 5 weather stories in Local 5’s 2018 Year in Review.
Heavy rainfall in June causes flooding in central Iowa
Some spots in the metro received nearly 10″ of rainfall in just a matter of hours, forcing people out of their homes.
The flash flooding turned deadly, claiming the life of well-known broadcaster and voice of the Drake Bulldogs, Larry Cotlar.
Trio of tornadoes hits on July 19
Bondurant, Pella and Marshalltown were all ravaged by summer tornadoes.
In Marshalltown, an EF-3. In Pella, Vermeer Manufacturing promised to rebuild after substantial damage to its facility. In Bondurant, roofs blown off of homes.
November blizzard covers southern Iowa
Over 17″ of snow fell in some southern Iowa cities—a full five weeks before winter officially began.
Snowstorms cause massive accidents on I-35
2018 starts with record-low temperatures, heats up in May
Iowa stayed freezing all the way through April, and Iowa’s first day of 2018 tallied a record low of -19°.
Though the cold (and snow) stuck through April, Iowa shot up to triple digits by May.