(Okoboji)– A hydrologist and Director of the Iowa Flood Center at the University of Iowa says significant advancements are being made in flood predictions. Dr. Larry Weber was one of the keynote speakers during a seminar Saturday held as part of the Boji Cleanwater Jam. He says 270 flood monitoring sensors have been deployed throughout Iowa since the 2024 floods that devastated northwest Iowa. He says they utilize ultrasound technology…
He adds the Iowa Flood Center is working jointly with the National Weather Service on a national flood forecasting system, adding they are in the process now of installing hydrostations throughout Iowa that monitor rainfall intensity, soil moisture and temperature. He says they have been deployed in about 55 counties, mainly in eastern and central Iowa, adding they were recently awarded funding through the 2024 disaster recovery relief funds to install hydrostations in a number of counties in western and northwest Iowa.
Dr. Weber adds that while it was bad enough, the 2024 flooding in northwest Iowa would have been even much worse had it not been for a severe drought that preceded the extremely heavy rain in June of that year…
Dr. Weber says the Iowa Flood Center recently hired additional staffing and experts to assist with flash flood forecasting.
A part of Dr. Weber’s presentation Saturday was focused on water quality and the impacts it’s having on Iowa’s cancer rates. We’ll have more on that in upcoming newscasts.
