How did lots of places in iowa flood?

Question

of course the rain.. but like how? i know leeves broke but what exactly happened?

Answer 1

Rain came down faster than it could flow away. Rivers rise as they carry more and more gallons per minute. Finally rivers flow over their banks, FLOOD.  These areas have flooded for years. It is what makes the soil there so good for farming.  BUT as more and more towns put in Levees, there is less area for the water to spread out so the flows get more intense.  If just Iowa City had a levee they wouldn't have flooded. But towns above them would have, lowering the water levels.  Iowa City's levees may  have been fine the last above average rain fall spring. BUT after the flooding in the 80's many towns built higher levees, so now even more water needs to be held back the further down stream you go.  Levees that were good enough back then, are too short and weak now. Lastly everyone has been talking about the drought that we were supposed to have this year. Flood control lakes were left at high levels this spring so there would be enough water for the towns when it didn't rain this year.  Well it rained, and no where to put the extra water. In other words, POLITICS said Global Warming was supposed to cause the Midwest to have no rain this year, so they kept the lakes full.   Global Warming Scientists were wrong again.

Answer 2

The river that runs through Iowa couldn't RUN that much water so it just basically halted.

Answer 3

The answer is simply volume. By the 14th of June some places had up to 6" more rain than the average for the whole month.

All the water flowed into streams, then into the rivers. Many cities in Iowa are built directly on rivers and there isn't really much keeping the river from houses and businesses.

Another key factor in the city of Cedar Rapids was the sewer. Water from the river flowed into the gutters and eventually filled the sewer so that many buildings were flooded internally by sewage and water coming in through pipes.

Gross, but true.