The Iowa Flood Center is a key partner in the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH), funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and led by the Alabama Water Institute at the University of Alabama. IFC researchers contribute their expertise in water resources prediction, hydrologic modeling and mapping, hydroinformatics (water information systems), flood monitoring, and outreach and education. 

Flood alerts and forecasts are available for more than 1,000 Iowa communities, helping all Iowans better plan and prepare in advance of a flood. 

High-resolution statewide flood maps for every Iowa stream, along with scenario-based flood inundation maps, keep individuals and communities safe and informed — protecting lives, property, and critical infrastructure. 

Nearly 300 stream-stage sensors designed, built, and deployed by IFC measure river levels every 15 minutes, improving flood monitoring and forecasting. Hydrologic weather stations improve flood and drought prediction capabilities.

The Iowa Flood Center’s network of hydrologic weather stations (hydrostations) helps to better understand, monitor, and forecast hydrologic conditions across Iowa. The IFC is working toward a goal of deploying one hydrostation in each county across the state to provide robust and uniform data to support flood and drought monitoring and forecasting. 

IFIS is a free, Google Maps-based web platform that communicates real-time information about stream levels, flood alerts and forecasts, and hydrologic conditions for the entire state of Iowa. 

The Missouri River Flood Information System (MRFIS) provides comprehensive information on floods, streamflow and mitigation scenarios, and levee systems that can be easily modified to represent breaches.

IFC staff and researchers provide leadership and technical expertise that supports collaborations with local, state, and federal partners to develop and implement watershed-based strategies to mitigate flood damage and increase resilience.