165
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$27.1M
Property damage
Flood in Clay County, Iowa: 165 recorded events between 2006 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #17 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flood in Clay County, Iowa: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flood in Clay County is the 2010s, when 105 of the county's 165 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Clay County archive, flood makes up 24.9% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #17 for this hazard and #1 within Iowa, putting it in the 99.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for flood in Clay County with 39 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 2024 | PETERSON | 0 | 1 | 0 | $25.6M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2024 | GREENVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2024 | SPENCER | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2024 | FOSTORIA | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2024 | FOSTORIA | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2024 | EVERLY | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2024 | ROSSIE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2024 | EVERLY | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2024 | GREENVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2024 | PETERSON | 0 | $25.6M |
| Jun 18, 2024 | EVERLY | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Clay County
- Hail 250
- Thunderstorm Wind 188
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Persistent heavy rains caused moderate to major flooding of the Little Sioux River. Farmland, other lowlands including parks, and several roads near the river were flooded, including in the city of Spencer. Some homes were flooded, mainly in basements. The river crested at 5.18 feet above flood stage at Spencer on June 20th.
Snow melt and heavy rainfall (measured 1.78 inches 4 miles northwest of Milford and 1.59 inches 3 miles south southeast of Lake Park) resulted in significant flooding of agricultural lands and several county roads. Little Sioux River near Milford (gage site MIFI4) reached the second highest stage on record cresting 6.02 feet above flood stage on March 18.
Persistent moderate to heavy rain caused flooding of fields and other lowlands, including several roads, homes, and businesses. This flooding lasted for almost two days, and was aggravated locally by additional storms during that time. Some roads were damaged or washed out.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flood events are on record in Clay County, Iowa?
165 flood events are recorded in Clay County between 2006 and 2024, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flood recorded in Clay County?
The strongest flood on record in Clay County measured 0.
Where does the flood data for Clay County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flood in Clay County, Iowa.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/iowa/clay-county/flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.