Iowa researchers are working to solve some of our state’s most significant environmental challenges. That includes experts from the UI College of Engineering who are using a living laboratory to conduct innovative sustainability research and scientists who have deployed a vast network of climate sensors to prepare for the growing impact of extreme weather events.

As part of a pilot program, the City of Manchester held a kickoff meeting to discuss steps that will be taken to reduce flooding. The city, in collaboration with the American Flood Coalition, Iowa Flood Center and East Central Intergovernmental Association, held a meeting in the Community Center at the Delaware County Fairgrounds Oct. 13 to talk about how they are actively working to reduce flood risks for residents, businesses and public infrastructure.

Four months after record flooding damaged hundreds of homes in Spencer, Iowa, city leaders met to offer transparency about the events that led up to the flooding. In conjunction with the Iowa Flood Center, city officials shared a full debrief of the days leading up to, and following, the flooding in June. They shared what they learned, and how they hope to prepare for future flooding.

Approximately one hundred and fifty residents of Spencer attended Tuesday night’s flood “debriefing” hosted by the city. This time representatives from the National Weather Service and Iowa Flood Center attended to talk about the unexpected magnitude of the flood.

Iowa Flood Center staff and researchers join the Iowa Water Conference highlighting the University of Iowa's impact on the conference theme, "Life Depends on Water. Water Depends on You."

A new tool has identified 250,000 suitable locations for on-road structures, an innovative flood mitigation practice that uses the existing roadway embankment as a temporary dam during heavily rainfall events.

The Iowa Flood Center (IFC) has installed 31 new hydrologic monitoring stations (hydrostations) in Eastern Iowa to better monitor and predict floods and droughts.

In June 2023, Witold Krajewski celebrated his retirement as Iowa Flood Center director after leading the center for 15 years. IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering director and IFC co-founder Larry Weber will serve as interim director.

In recent weeks, Iowa has been hit by intense storms and extreme weather, resulting in record flooding. The damages from these storms have cost Iowa an estimated $130 million in damages. Extreme weather and the damages caused by such events has caused Iowa’s focus to shift to flood protection and prevention services and have highlighted faults in Iowa flood prevention techniques and the Iowan levee system.

The Iowa Flood Center (IFC) has developed new flood inundation maps for New Hartford, Iowa. These maps are non-regulatory and are a resource to help residents understand and monitor flood risks at the individual property level and throughout the community.