Josie Taylor | September 6, 2021

Northeastern Iowa experienced flooding last weekend. On Sunday, August 29, the Cedar River quickly rose following heavy rainfall. Minor flooding was then seen in Cedar Falls at Tourist Park. 

Park Manager Lori Eberhard with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources said, “Trails are still underwater and there’s going to be a number of them that are going to be underwater for a few days”, in regards to Tourist Park. 

Luckily for Iowa, the University of Iowa Flood Center has an interactive map to help Iowans understand flood forecasts in their area. This tool updates every few minutes making it easy to predict flooding. 

Gabriele Villarini, an associate professor with the The University of Iowa’s hydraulics laboratory, uses the tool to study the rise of floods.
Villarini said, “There is no login, very easy to access, and you can think of it as your one-stop-shop for all of your hydrometeorological needs”. Any Iowan, now matter their understanding of flooding, or their income can utilize this user-friendly tool.