Iowa Flood Center

As a new flood season approaches, many Americans remain haunted by the last. Climate change is increasing the number of floods, just as some of the programs that help communities deal with floods are disappearing. But Iowans are fortunate — we have access to the incredible tools developed and maintained by engineers at the state-funded Iowa Flood Center at University of Iowa College of Engineering https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/opinion/iowa-flood-warning-system-america.html
University of Iowa

Opinion | In a Small Iowa Town, a Solution to a National Crisis As the Trump administration guts weather agencies, a state’s low-cost flood tracking system offers a model for responding to deadly inundations.

The National Weather Service predicts another round of severe storms beginning later this afternoon and evening. There is potential for damaging winds, tornadoes, heavy rainfall, and localized flash flooding. Please remain weather aware!

Recent rains have saturated the soil across much of the state, making these areas more susceptible to flood risks. The Iowa Flood Information System provides real-time river levels at more than 270 flood center stream sensor locations, complementing the USGS stream gage network. View active flood alerts and forecasts to understand river conditions and flood potential in your area. Iowa Emergency Management Association, Iowa League of Cities, Iowa State Association of Counties

https://ifis.iowafloodcenter.org/ifis/app/

A great day of learning at IIHR - Hydroscience and Engineering's Lucille A. Carver Mississippi Riverside Environmental Research Station in Muscatine!

Presenting Currents of Collaboration, highlighting partnerships across Iowa and Wisconsin that are driving innovative water research and creating real community impact.

Scientists, stakeholders, and local leaders came together with shared goals of advancing flood-resilient watersheds and supporting informed decision-making. Along the way, they exchanged ideas, explored practices across state lines, and identified opportunities for future collaboration; because watershed work is about people just as much as it is about water.

Featuring voices from across the Driftless Area, this video shares stories of stewardship, collaboration, and innovation in action.

Northeast Iowa RC&D, IIHR - Hydroscience and Engineering, C**n Creek Community Watershed Council, Inc, Trout Unlimited, Wisconsin Wetlands Association

Watch and Share:

Current of Collaborations Current of Collaborations highlights the partnerships driving innovative water research and community impact—bringing together scientists, stakeholders, and ...

As we close out March Flood Awareness Month, it's a great time to review tools and resources to make sure you're prepared for any event—rain or shine.

As flood risks remain low-to-normal this spring, it's important to stay informed and be prepared for changing conditions. Check out the Iowa Flood Information System to stay up to date on rainfall, river levels, flood alerts, and more.

Learn about IFC tools to help you know your flood risks and be prepared:

March Flood Awareness Month The National Weather Service currently predicts a low-to-normal flood risk this spring, with a few factors to watch for.

Thank you to the legislators, partners, and supporters who joined us at the Capitol for our annual Legislative Breakfast cohosted with the Iowa Geological Survey!

We're thrilled by the quality connections during the event and the opportunity to exchange ideas for how we can continue working together to reduce flood risks for Iowans.

This annual event is an opportunity to share how the Iowa Flood Center supports communities across the state through flood forecasting, mitigation strategies, water resource planning, and direct community assistance.

We’re thankful to everyone who took the time to attend, ask thoughtful questions, and show their support for this work.

We look forward to continuing our work together to make Iowa more flood resilient!

American Flood Coalition, Northeast Iowa RC&D, Center for Rural Affairs, City of Spencer, Iowa, Iowa Emergency Management Association, Maquoketa River Watershed Management Authority

Mark your calendars! Our annual legislative breakfast, hosted in collaboration with the Iowa Geological Survey, is right around the corner.

On Tuesday, March 10, from 7:00-9:00 am, the IFC and IGS teams will be at the Capitol connecting with legislators and partners to talk about how our work in hydrologic monitoring, prediction, and community assistance is making a real difference for Iowans. Join us in the 1st Floor Rotunda for food and refreshments and to learn about the latest activities at IFC and IGS.

For more information about this event, view our calendar posting linked below. We hope to see you there!

Iowa Flood Center researcher Marian Muste has developed and patented a new physics-based method of measuring stream flow that eliminates the need for the costly and labor-intensive estimation of stream discharge using rating curves. The “Muste Method” continuously and simultaneously measures multiple flow variables, including stage, velocity, and free-surface slope. It produces accurate, real-time discharge measurements during normal, transition, and extreme flows without using rating curves. https://ow.ly/b9KG50YhRAs
University of Iowa College of Engineering IIHR - Hydroscience and Engineering CIROH at The University of Alabama

Iowa research engineer invents physics-based approach for measuring river flow Marian Muste, University of Iowa research engineer, has invented a custom physics-based approach for measuring the flow in rivers and streams, which could benefit applications ranging from design of riverine structures to flood warnings and water resource management.

Felipe Quintero, an Associate Research Scientist, has been a key contributor to IIHR’s research since joining the program in 2013. In a little over a decade, he has played a major role in transforming data from the Iowa Flood Center’s stream gages into actionable insights via forecasting, helping Iowan communities respond to often unpredictable weather and waters. That impact is a huge part of what drives him.

"My research is driven and motivated by serving the people of Iowa with reliable, best-in-class data,” says Quintero. “As Iowans continue to experience flooding nearly every year, it’s important that we have tools available to help save lives, protect infrastructure, and support a high quality of life.”

Learn more about Felipe and his work by clicking the link in the comments below.

Calling all educators!

The IFC has developed teaching resources s with ready-to-use learning materials to supplement your curriculum; Explore Your Watershed, a learning resource to build watershed literacy, and Iowa Water Data, detailing how to use the Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS) in your classroom. Check them out at the link below, and see how IFC can help inform your students watershed learning!

Iowa Conservation Education Coalition - ICEC

https://iowafloodcenter.uiowa.edu/education-outreach/k-12-resources