Fierce Storms Batter Iowa, Thousands Without Power Overnight
Let me bring you up to speed on what’s been happening with the weather here in Iowa — and it’s been intense. Overnight and into the early hours, a series of powerful thunderstorms swept through much of central and western Iowa, leaving a trail of damage and disruption in their wake. At one point, more than 16,000 customers in the Des Moines metro area alone were without power, with especially hard-hit areas like Urbandale, Johnston, and rural Polk County also reporting thousands of outages.
We’ve seen severe thunderstorm warnings lighting up across nearly 40 counties in the state, including areas under flash flood watches and even tornado warnings . The storms carried heavy rain, lightning, and winds clocked at 50–70 mph, causing widespread tree damage and triggering emergency response across affected counties. In Guthrie County, trees were down on homes and limbs were scattered across roads — emergency crews were out all night.
According to the National Weather Service and KCCI's Storm Team 8, the storms originated in western Iowa late Thursday night and pushed eastward, weakening as they crossed I-35 but still maintaining dangerous wind speeds and downpours. The skycams even captured some dramatic moments — flashes of lightning lighting up the Capitol and downtown Des Moines, while power flashes lit the horizon as transformers blew out.
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The biggest concern overnight wasn’t just wind, but also the potential for flash flooding . With isolated areas receiving up to 5 inches of rain , some streets became rivers in a matter of hours. Affected areas were urged to move to the lowest level of their homes and avoid flooded roads — especially in counties like Poweshiek, Tama, and Mahaska.
Looking ahead, more storms could be on the way Friday evening, but they’re expected to stay further south, potentially impacting southern Iowa and neighboring states like Missouri and Illinois. After that, things look a little better. By Saturday morning, skies should clear and we’re in for a calmer weekend with lower humidity and cooler temperatures — at least briefly before temps rise again next week.
Even high school baseball wasn’t spared — the Iowa High School Athletic Association announced multiple changes to the Friday postseason schedule, adjusting game times across the state to beat the storms.
And sadly, not everything could be rescheduled. The Toledo Stoplight Festival had to be canceled altogether because of the forecast — no live music, no vendors, just safety first.
As always, if you caught any dramatic storm footage or damage in your area, KCCI is asking for you to share it with them. They’re using real-time community photos and videos to track the impact more closely.
So stay alert, keep an eye on the skies and radar, and make sure you’re signed up for emergency alerts. This storm season is clearly not pulling any punches.
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