Natalia Welzenbach-Marcu | 3/27/2018

Many Iowans know flooding in the same way that they know cornfields and fairs. Floods happen at an alarmingly frequent rate in the Midwestern state. Between 1988 to 2015, Iowa has lost an estimated $13.5 billion in flood losses. The floods of 2008 specifically garnered national media attention.

Floods can cause life-changing damage to homes, businesses, and schools. Fortunately, Iowans have a way to track and prevent potential flooding with the Iowa Flood Information System, or IFIS.

The IFIS was created by University of Iowa’s Iowa Flood Center in an attempt to give citizens a transparent look at weather patterns that could contribute to a potential flood. This online project is used together with the Iowa Watershed Approach, where lakes and ponds are strategically built to deter flooding from streams to crops. With these systems and community-led projects in place, the Iowa Flood Center hopes to make Iowa impervious to flood damage in the near future.