Updated Aug. 14, 2026.
The watch will remain in effect until 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15. The strongest storms could produce 1 to 2 inches of rain per hour.
Des Moines, Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline and Rock Island remain under a flood watch as additional rounds of rain and thunderstorms move across Iowa and western Illinois.
The watch will remain in effect until 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15. The National Weather Service is maintaining the alert for much of central and eastern Iowa, along with several counties in western Illinois.
Rain could accumulate quickly on streets, in urban areas with poor drainage, in low-lying locations and near rivers, creeks and streams. However, rainfall totals will vary among cities and counties.
The strongest storms could produce up to 2 inches per hour
Central Iowa has received several rounds of rain this week. Storms expected through Saturday morning could repeatedly move across the same areas and produce rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour.
In the area covered by the National Weather Service office in Quad Cities, the hardest-hit locations south of Interstate 80 could receive 3 to 5 inches. Isolated higher totals are also possible.
The forecast does not mean every city will receive those amounts. Storms may produce heavy rain in one area while a nearby community records much lower totals.
Runoff could raise water levels in creeks and rivers. Saturated ground also increases the possibility that new rainfall will quickly reach streets and low-lying areas.
The watch includes Polk, Scott and Rock Island counties
In central Iowa, the watch includes Des Moines and Polk County, along with Dallas, Story, Jasper, Warren, Marion, Boone and Marshall counties, among others.
Farther east, the watch covers Scott, Muscatine, Clinton, Linn, Johnson, Cedar, Jackson and Dubuque counties. Cities within the watch area include Davenport, Bettendorf, Muscatine, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Clinton and Dubuque.
In Illinois, the watch covers Rock Island, Henry, Whiteside, Carroll, Bureau and Putnam counties. Moline, Rock Island, Geneseo, Sterling and other communities are within the watch area.
The latest round of rain follows flooding that affected roads in southern Iowa on Aug. 5. The current watch covers a different and much larger part of the state.
A flood watch means flooding is possible
A flood watch means conditions could lead to flooding. It does not confirm that every included city has flooded streets or homes.
A Flash Flood Warning carries greater urgency. The National Weather Service issues one for a more specific area when water is already rising or flooding is imminent. Additional warnings could be issued if storms produce rapid rainfall.
The agency states that 6 inches of moving water can knock over an adult and 12 inches can carry away most cars. Barriers blocking a flooded road indicate that crossing is unsafe. The National Weather Service provides official guidance for flooded roads on its website.
The watch is scheduled to end at 10 a.m. Saturday. The expiration time and affected areas could change if storms shift or produce additional flooding overnight.
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