What started as a rise in river levels quickly escalated into a record-breaking flood that devastated Spencer, Iowa. The Little Sioux River surged far beyond forecast, putting the city’s infrastructure, leadership, and resilience to the ultimate test. The City of Spencer had prepared for a 17-and-a-half-foot river crest. Something the city had seen many times before.

Across much of the Midwest, the atmosphere is becoming warmer and retaining more water, leading to heavier downpours. A two-crop system called relay intercropping could help farmers buffer weather whiplash and boost profits.

We are at the one-year anniversary of a huge natural disaster that changed the arc of summer 2024 for so many people. Siouxlanders had to deal with a variety of trying situations as rivers and lakes rose, with highways having several days of closures. Emergency management leaders in counties across the region worked to keep their communities safe.

It’s been one year since devastating flooding hit the region. From Windom, Minnesota, to Rock Valley, Rock Rapids, and Spencer, Iowa, to Canton and McCook Lake, South Dakota, Dakota News Now brought coverage of disaster areas. We returned to Rock Valley a year later to see how they’ve bounced back.

The Iowa Flood Center (IFC) has released updated flood inundation maps for Rock Valley, Iowa following last summer’s flood event. The IFC's flood inundation maps have increased the maximum stage from 25 to 30 feet to more accurately represent potential flood scenarios.  

5th graders from Muscatine explore IIHR's unique research facility on the Mississippi River for a day of exploration and outdoor learning.

A group of passionate watershed conservationists, engineers, farmers, and community members from Iowa and Wisconsin connected in Postville, Iowa for an informational exchange around innovative watershed management strategies.

The IFC provides technical support to many local, state, and federal partners through flood monitoring and forecasting, inundation mapping, mitigation, and education and outreach, helping Iowans understand and reduce their current and future flood risks.

When Kaleb Young started studying at the University of Iowa, he wanted to become a doctor. And while he’ll gain that title, it will not be an MD like he originally planned but a PhD with a focus in flood mitigation.

The Director of the Iowa Flood Center says Spencer is now on the map as a priority for flood control. Larry Weber says 2024 demonstrated how large the watershed to the North of the community is, and flooding in Spencer is a harbinger for communities downstream