Tag: Restoration

This is a live snapshot as of 3:47 AM PDT (5:47 AM CDT), September 20, 2026. Conditions change fast — always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.

The National Weather Service in Quad Cities has extended a Flash Flood Warning for seven east-central and southeastern Iowa counties — Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Keokuk, Louisa, Muscatine, and Washington — until 8:15 AM CDT. This is an observed flash flood event: trained weather spotters have confirmed flooding on the ground in Kalona, with the English River out of its banks. For restoration contractors, this is the exact interior-flooding workload that fills a water crew’s week — saturated ground, rising streams, and homes taking water while families are still asleep.

The warning: Seven Iowa counties — Flash Flood Warning

Issuing office: NWS Quad Cities IA/IL (KDVN) · Issued: September 20 at 5:41 AM CDT · Expires: September 20 at 8:15 AM CDT · Status: Actual, severity Severe, urgency Immediate · Detection: OBSERVED (spotter-confirmed)

The warning covers Southern Cedar County in east central Iowa; Iowa, Johnson, and Muscatine counties in east central Iowa; Keokuk County in southeastern Iowa; northwestern Louisa County in southeastern Iowa; and Washington County in southeastern Iowa.

At 5:41 AM CDT, trained weather spotters reported flash flooding in Kalona. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain have fallen across portions of the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing. Rain has tapered off to mainly light to at-times-moderate rain, with the heaviest rain having already occurred. Residents should be alert for rapid rises and flooding on area streams and creeks and along the English River.

Washington County deputies reported around a foot of water covering the intersection of 133rd Street and Nutmeg Street in Kalona due to the English River being out of its banks.

Hazard: Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms (spotter-reported). Impact: Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other poor-drainage and low-lying areas.

Locations in the warning path: Iowa City, Muscatine, Washington, Tipton, Marengo, West Branch, Sigourney, Columbus Junction, Durant, Coralville, North Liberty, West Liberty, Williamsburg, Wilton, Kalona, Tiffin, Wellman, Lone Tree, and University Heights.

Highways affected: Interstate 80 in Iowa between mile markers 205 and 277, and Interstate 380 between mile markers 1 and 7.

Source: the live NWS alert is available here; NWS Quad Cities’ office page is at weather.gov/dvn.

Stay safe this morning

Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. The NWS stresses extra caution in the dark — it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding before dawn — and urges everyone to be aware of their surroundings and never drive on flooded roads.

If water enters the home: stay out of standing water where electricity may be present, avoid the basement until water recedes and power is confirmed off, and photograph everything before cleanup — documentation matters for insurance. Then call a local restoration contractor. Water left sitting starts a second wave of damage within a day.

What this means for restoration teams

An observed overnight flash flood in eastern Iowa is a water-intrusion pipeline, not a one-morning event. Expect the call pattern to run: flooded basements and crawlspaces in Kalona and along the English River bottoms first, then saturated slabs and ground-floor rooms as homeowners discover damage through the morning. Saturated drywall and insulation that isn’t opened up and dried within 24 to 48 hours becomes a mold-risk job — and low-lying areas always carry a sewage-backup possibility in this kind of event.

The play for contractors in the seven-county warned area: stage equipment now, pre-position drying assets, and keep an on-call rotation through the morning. On the first call, capture the address, the water source (floodwater intrusion vs. interior source), and the affected areas — the answer shapes the entire job. Field discipline holds: photo-document before mitigation begins, moisture-map every affected room, and keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts.

One more thing to watch: the English River cresting later in the day. Flash flood warnings expire, but rivers keep rising after the rain stops — the homes closest to the river may take water hours after this warning ends.

Local emergency contacts

Contact information for the individual county emergency management offices in the warned area could not be verified for this post, so no numbers are listed here. For authoritative local guidance, check your county’s emergency management page or the NWS Quad Cities office at weather.gov/dvn. Dial 911 for life-threatening emergencies.

FEMA & federal assistance

If your home is damaged, the FEMA Helpline is 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m.–10 p.m. local time, 7 days a week). You can also apply through DisasterAssistance.gov, the FEMA mobile app, or find a recovery center at fema.gov/drc. Basic eligibility generally requires citizenship or qualified status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it’s safe to do so — don’t wait for a disaster declaration to gather your documentation.

Looking ahead

This warning runs until 8:15 AM CDT. When it expires, the immediate concern shifts from flash flooding to the English River and area streams, which can crest hours after the heaviest rain — the Kalona report of water over 133rd and Nutmeg shows the river is already high. NWS Quad Cities may extend or replace this warning depending on how creeks respond through the morning; watch their office page for updates.

The demand window for restoration work typically opens within hours of water receding and keeps coming for days as people discover damage. Contractors should treat the English River corridor — and the low-lying ground in Kalona, Columbus Junction, and the Iowa River towns — as the highest-probability call zones for the next 48 hours.

Sources & how to verify

• NWS alert: Flash Flood Warning issued September 20 at 5:41 AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
• NWS Quad Cities office: weather.gov/dvn

To verify for your own county or ZIP code: enter your location at weather.gov or visit your local NWS office page.

This post is for informational purposes and is not an official weather warning. Always follow instructions from local authorities and the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service in Quad Cities has issued a Flash Flood Warning for Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, and Linn counties in east-central Iowa — including the Cedar Rapids metro — in effect until 8:00 AM CDT Sunday. Heavy rain earlier brought 2 to 5 inches across the warned area, and flash flooding is either ongoing or expected to begin shortly as that runoff combines with the steady rain still falling.

This is a live snapshot as of 5:20 AM Central (3:20 AM Pacific) on Sunday, September 20, 2026. Conditions change fast — always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.

Cedar Rapids & Linn County, IA — Flash Flood Warning

Issued by: NWS Quad Cities (Iowa/Illinois), 5:04 AM CDT. Expires: 8:00 AM CDT Sunday.

The hazard, in NWS wording: At 5:04 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated a large area of light to moderate rain was occurring across the warned area. Heavy rain producing storms earlier brought rainfall of 2 to 5 inches across the warned area. Flash flooding is either ongoing or expected to begin shortly due to runoff from the earlier heavy rain combined with the steady rain falling. Source: radar indicated.

Expected impacts: Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

Communities: Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Robins, Fairfax, Ely, Walford, Springville, and Palo are all named in the warning. This includes Interstate 380 between mile markers 8 and 36 — drivers on I-380 should expect ponding and possible lane flooding through the morning commute window.

Benton, Iowa & Johnson Counties, IA — Flash Flood Warning

Same warning window: issued 5:04 AM CDT, in effect until 8:00 AM CDT Sunday, with the same 2-to-5-inch rainfall footprint from the earlier heavy storms plus continuing steady rain.

Communities: Vinton, Belle Plaine, Marengo, Solon, and Atkins are the named locations across these counties.

The runoff math here is the dangerous part: the big rain already fell, the ground is primed, and even light-to-moderate steady rain on top of 2 to 5 inches keeps pushing water into the same creeks and low spots. This is the kind of setup where the flooding starts after the heavy rain ends — don’t let a quiet radar fool you.

Cedar & Jones Counties, IA — Flash Flood Warning

Same warning, same timing. Communities: Mechanicsville, Stanwood, Center Point, Lisbon, Mount Vernon, and Anamosa sit inside the warned portions of these counties.

Small creeks and streams are the first to jump in this corridor — the NWS impacts list leads with them for a reason. Low crossings on county roads, underpasses, and urban storm-drain bottlenecks in the smaller towns are the places to watch before sunrise.

Stay safe this morning

Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night, when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding — and be aware of your surroundings on the morning drive: I-380 between mile markers 8 and 36 is explicitly inside this warning, and flooded underpasses on a commuter highway are exactly where bad mornings happen.

If water enters your home: stay out of standing water where electricity may be present. Avoid the basement until water recedes and power is confirmed off. Photograph everything before cleanup — documentation matters for insurance. Then call a local restoration contractor: water left sitting starts a second wave of damage within a day.

Report observed flooding to local emergency services or law enforcement, and ask them to pass the information to the National Weather Service when you can do so safely.

What this means for restoration teams

Two to five inches across a metro like Cedar Rapids is a volume job. The damage categories: interior water intrusion in finished basements (the exact jobs restoration teams see most), saturated carpet and pad, water wicking up drywall from slab edges, overwhelmed sump systems, and storm-drain backup in the urban core. With the warning naming I-380 explicitly, expect commercial properties along the corridor to report water in loading docks and low entries too.

Mold risk clocks start the moment materials stay wet: 24 to 48 hours on saturated drywall and insulation. The continuing light-to-moderate rain matters here — it extends the wet window, which extends the drying window, which is the number you put on the job sheet.

The play for east-central Iowa contractors: stage extraction equipment and dehumidifiers now, because the warning expires at 8:00 AM CDT and the discovery wave starts as people wake up. Keep an on-call rotation through the morning. Capture address, water source, and affected areas on the first call — “water source” matters more than usual here because runoff-driven flooding and sump failures and drain backup all dry out differently. Photo-document before mitigation, moisture-map every affected room, and keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts.

FEMA & federal assistance

If the flooding turns into a declared disaster, the FEMA Helpline is 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m.–10 p.m. local, 7 days a week). You can also apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA app, or find recovery centers at fema.gov/drc. Basic eligibility: U.S. citizenship or qualified status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it is safe to do so.

Looking ahead

The warning expires at 8:00 AM CDT. After that, watch whether the NWS extends — steady rain on top of 2 to 5 inches is an extension-prone setup — and watch the creeks and small streams, which can crest after the rain lets up. The next NWS update lands with any extension or at expiration; check the Quad Cities office page for the latest.

Demand window note for contractors: water-intrusion calls typically start within hours of water receding and keep coming for days as people discover damage — in a metro this size, the tail on this one runs all week.

Sources & how to verify

• NWS alert: Flash Flood Warning — NWS Quad Cities IA IL
• Issuing office: weather.gov/dvn (NWS Quad Cities)
• To verify for your own county or ZIP: check weather.gov or your local NWS office page for the current active-alert map.

This post is for informational purposes and is not an official weather warning. Always follow instructions from local authorities and the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service in Chicago has issued a Flash Flood Warning for De Kalb, La Salle, and Lee counties in northern Illinois, in effect until 8:00 AM CDT Sunday. Three to six inches of rain have already fallen — the heaviest totals across Lee County — and while the heavy rain has ended for now, additional heavy rain is possible later this morning. That is a lot of water on the ground before sunrise, and it is the setup that floods creeks, drainage ditches, and low-lying neighborhoods in a hurry.

This is a live snapshot as of 5:20 AM Central (3:20 AM Pacific) on Sunday, September 20, 2026. Conditions change fast — always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.

De Kalb County, IL — Flash Flood Warning

Issued by: NWS Chicago, 5:09 AM CDT. Expires: 8:00 AM CDT Sunday.

The hazard, in NWS wording: At 5:09 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms produced heavy rain across the warned area. Between 3 and 6 inches of rain have fallen. While the heavy rain has ended, additional heavy rain is possible later this morning. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. Source: radar indicated.

Expected impacts: Rapid-onset flooding of creeks, streams, drainage ditches, streets, underpasses, low-lying areas, and other poor drainage areas.

Communities: Sandwich, Shabbona, Hinckley, Somonauk, Waterman, Leland, and Paw Paw are among the named locations in De Kalb County.

La Salle County, IL — Flash Flood Warning

Same warning window: issued 5:09 AM CDT, in effect until 8:00 AM CDT Sunday, with 3 to 6 inches of rain already measured across the warned area.

Communities: Mendota, Sheridan, Serena, Millington, Troy Grove, Triumph, and Prairie Center are the named locations in the warned portions of the county.

Rapid-onset is the key phrase in this alert — persons along creeks, drainage ditches, and other waterways should take immediate precautions to protect life and property. When a warning says rapid-onset, it means the water does not give you the slow-rise grace period; it jumps banks.

Lee County, IL — Flash Flood Warning

Lee County saw the highest totals in this event — the top end of the 3-to-6-inch range, per the NWS alert. Communities: Amboy, Lee, Compton, Nelson, West Brooklyn, Harmon, Sublette, Lee Center, Woodhaven Lakes, and Earlville are all named in the warning.

With six inches of rain possible in the hardest-hit spots and low-lying drainage areas explicitly called out in the impacts list, field flooding, overwhelmed roadside ditches, and water over low rural roads are the immediate concerns. Turn around, don’t drown — most flood deaths occur in vehicles, and a flooded rural road in the dark is the highest-risk spot in this whole warning.

Stay safe this morning

A Flash Flood Warning means rapid-onset flooding is imminent or may already be occurring. Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads — most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

If water enters your home: stay out of standing water where electricity may be present. Avoid the basement until water recedes and power is confirmed off. Photograph everything before cleanup — documentation matters for insurance. Then call a local restoration contractor: water left sitting starts a second wave of damage within a day.

Be especially cautious through daybreak: pre-dawn flooding is the hardest to see, and this warning’s second act — additional heavy rain possible later this morning — could land right around commute time.

What this means for restoration teams

Three to six inches is basement-flooding arithmetic in northern Illinois. The job mix out of this one: flooded basements where sump pumps lost the race (ask about battery backup and pump age on the first call — it predicts the next house on the block), seepage through foundation walls in older housing stock, saturated carpet and pad, and water wicking into finished drywall that looks fine at noon and grows a problem by Tuesday.

Mold risk clocks start the moment materials stay wet: 24 to 48 hours on saturated drywall and insulation. In the agricultural edge of these counties, outbuildings and equipment storage take water too — don’t forget the farm jobs mixed in with the residential calls.

The play: stage extraction equipment and dehumidifiers before 8 AM, because the warning expires at 8:00 AM CDT and the call volume historically starts as people wake up and walk downstairs. Keep an on-call rotation through the morning — and remember the alert explicitly allows for a second round of heavy rain later this morning, which means a second call wave. Capture address, water source, and affected areas on the first call; photo-document before mitigation; moisture-map every affected room; keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts.

FEMA & federal assistance

If the flooding turns into a declared disaster, the FEMA Helpline is 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m.–10 p.m. local, 7 days a week). You can also apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA app, or find recovery centers at fema.gov/drc. Basic eligibility: U.S. citizenship or qualified status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it is safe to do so.

Looking ahead

The warning expires at 8:00 AM CDT — but the story does not end there. The NWS explicitly says additional heavy rain is possible later this morning, so watch for an extension or a fresh warning if new cells develop on this saturated ground. Creeks and drainage ditches will run high through the morning and can crest after the rain stops; the water keeps moving downstream.

Demand window note for contractors: water-intrusion calls typically start within hours of water receding and keep coming for days as people discover damage — and a second round of rain would restart the whole clock.

Sources & how to verify

• NWS alert: Flash Flood Warning — NWS Chicago IL
• Issuing office: weather.gov/lot (NWS Chicago)
• To verify for your own county or ZIP: check weather.gov or your local NWS office page for the current active-alert map.

This post is for informational purposes and is not an official weather warning. Always follow instructions from local authorities and the National Weather Service.

A Flash Flood Warning remains in effect until 7:30 AM CDT this morning (Sunday, September 20) for the Quad Cities region — covering Scott, Muscatine, and southwestern Clinton counties in Iowa, plus Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, and southern Whiteside counties and northwestern Bureau County in Illinois. The warning was issued by NWS Quad Cities (KDVN) at 5:00 AM CDT.

Why this one matters beyond the roads: this is the exact setup that drives the interior flooding jobs restoration contractors see most — steady rain on already-saturated ground, water pushing into basements, crawlspaces, and ground-floor units across Davenport, Moline, Bettendorf, and Muscatine while most of the area is still asleep. This is a live snapshot as of roughly 3:05 AM Pacific (5:05 AM CDT). Conditions change fast — always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.

Quad Cities — Flash Flood Warning

Issuing office: NWS Quad Cities IA IL (KDVN), Des Moines-coverage Quad Cities region.
Issued: 5:00 AM CDT Sunday, September 20, 2026.
Expires: 7:30 AM CDT Sunday, September 20, 2026.
Severity: Severe · Certainty: Likely · Urgency: Immediate.
Alert source: NWS alert (api.weather.gov) · Office page: weather.gov/dvn

The NWS headline reads: “Flash flood warning remains in effect until 7:30 AM CDT this morning for southwestern Clinton, eastern Muscatine, Scott, northwestern Bureau, Henry IL, Mercer, Rock Island and southern Whiteside counties.”

Hazard detail, verbatim from the alert: At 5:00 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated a large area of light to moderate rain across the warned area. Earlier storms dropped 1 to 3.5 inches of rain across the area, and flash flooding is either ongoing or expected to begin shortly as runoff from the earlier heavy rain combines with the continuing steady rain. Hazard: flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. Source: radar indicated.

Expected impacts: flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other poor-drainage and low-lying areas.

Locations in the path named in the warning: Davenport, Moline, Rock Island, Bettendorf, Muscatine, East Moline, Kewanee, Aledo, Cambridge, Silvis, Geneseo, Eldridge, Colona, Milan, Le Claire, Coal Valley, and Galva.

State parks included: Big Bend Fish and Wildlife Area, Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area, and Prophetstown State Park.

Highways affected (from the alert): Interstate 74 in Iowa between mile markers 1 and 5; Interstate 280 between mile markers 1 and 18; Interstate 80 in Iowa between mile markers 279 and 306; Interstate 80 in Illinois between mile markers 1 and 43; Interstate 74 in Illinois between mile markers 1 and 33; Interstate 88 between mile markers 1 and 32, and between mile markers 36 and 43. If your commute touches I-74, I-80, I-88, or I-280 through the Quad Cities corridor this morning, expect flooded low spots and slow to closed lanes.

Stay safe this morning

Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads — most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night and in the pre-dawn hours, when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding, and do not drive on flooded roads.

If water is entering your home: stay out of standing water where electricity may be present, avoid the basement until water recedes and power is confirmed off, photograph everything before cleanup begins — documentation matters for insurance — then call a local restoration contractor. Water left sitting starts a second wave of damage within a day. Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law enforcement and request they pass the information to the National Weather Service when you can do so safely.

What this means for restoration teams

This is the signature scenario for early-morning water-intrusion calls: 1 to 3.5 inches on saturated ground, continued steady rain, and urban low spots across a metro area that woke up to water. Expect the call mix to skew toward interior water intrusion in basements and ground-floor units, saturated drywall and insulation where runoff ponded against foundations, and sewage backup in low-lying neighborhoods and older combined-sewer blocks in Davenport and Moline. Mold risk starts the clock within 24–48 hours wherever water sits.

The play: stage extraction and drying equipment now, pre-position dehumidifiers and air movers for a mid-morning deployment wave, and keep an on-call rotation through at least the afternoon — water-intrusion discovery calls typically lag the event by several hours as people wake up and check basements. On the first call, capture the address, the water source (seepage vs. backup vs. surface water), and every affected room before the crew rolls.

Field discipline: photo-document before any mitigation begins, moisture-map every affected room (not just the visibly wet ones), and keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts — flood-source gray water carries a different conversation than a clean supply-line break, and it needs to be set up front.

FEMA & federal assistance

If your home or business takes damage: FEMA Helpline 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m.–10 p.m. local, 7 days). You can also apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA app, or find a recovery center at fema.gov/drc. Basic eligibility: citizenship or qualified status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it’s safe — and keep your insurance documentation and the contractor’s photo log together from day one.

Looking ahead

The warning expires at 7:30 AM CDT, but the risk doesn’t end on the clock. Watch for additional rounds of rain redeveloping over the same saturated counties, and remember that small creeks and streams can crest after the rain stops — Rock River and Mississippi tributary lowlands stay vulnerable into the afternoon. The next NWS update will land as conditions evolve; check weather.gov/dvn or weather.gov for your county.

Demand window note: water-intrusion calls typically start within hours of water receding and keep coming for days as people discover damage in basements, crawlspaces, and storage areas they didn’t check on day one.

Sources & how to verify

• NWS Flash Flood Warning — Quad Cities (api.weather.gov)
• NWS Quad Cities office page (weather.gov/dvn)

To verify for your own county or ZIP: go to weather.gov, enter your location, and check the active alerts banner — or follow the NWS Quad Cities office page for the latest updates.

This post is for informational purposes and is not an official weather warning. Always follow instructions from local authorities and the National Weather Service.

Update: warning extended to 9:45 AM EDT — new 5:43 AM EDT warning

Issued 5:43 AM EDT by the National Weather Service in Charleston, WV, until 9:45 AM EDT. The earlier 4:40 AM warning for central West Virginia (until 8:45 AM EDT) has been superseded by this updated warning for a reshaped polygon: southwestern Clay, Pocahontas, southwestern Randolph, Webster, and Nicholas counties. The flood threat is carrying forward into the morning commute.

Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 0.5 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen, with additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 1.5 inches possible. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. Hazard: flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. Impact per the alert: flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, and other poor-drainage and low-lying areas. This includes Route 19 between mile markers 35 and 49.

Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads — most flood deaths occur in vehicles. If you see flooding, report it to the National Weather Service when you can do so safely: 1-800-401-9535 (toll-free).

What this means for restoration teams: the mountain-county polygon (Pocahontas, Webster, Randolph, Nicholas) means remote, limited-access communities along Route 19 and the small-creek drainages — the jobs will be interior water intrusion in homes with limited cell reach and longer dry-out equipment runs. Urban-underpass and street flooding means commercial water-intrusion work too. With up to 3 inches total possible before 9:45 AM EDT, calls will start as water recedes this morning and continue for days. Stage drying assets before the first call and moisture-map every affected room.

Update published as a live snapshot as of 5:43 AM EDT. Conditions change fast — verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.

The National Weather Service in Charleston, WV has issued a Flash Flood Warning for central West Virginia — Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Gilmer, Lewis, Nicholas, Roane, and Webster counties — effective until 8:45 AM EDT, Sunday, September 20, 2026. Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area, with between 0.5 and 1.5 inches already fallen and another 1 to 1.5 inches possible. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

For restoration teams, this is the exact interior-flooding scenario you see most often: water pushing into homes through low-lying entry points, saturated drywall and insulation, and the first wave of water-intrusion calls once the rain lets up. This is a live snapshot as of 5:00 AM EDT. Conditions change fast — always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.

Central West Virginia — Flash Flood Warning

Issuing office: National Weather Service, Charleston, WV (weather.gov/rlx)
Issued: 4:40 AM EDT, September 20, 2026
Expires: 8:45 AM EDT, September 20, 2026
Severity: Severe · Certainty: Likely · Urgency: Immediate

The warning covers southeastern Roane County, Braxton County, southeastern Calhoun County, central Clay County, southern Gilmer County, northwestern Webster County, south central Lewis County, and north central Nicholas County — all in north central to northeastern West Virginia.

At 4:40 AM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 0.5 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 1.5 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

Hazard: Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. Source: Radar indicated.

Expected impacts (per the NWS alert): Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other poor-drainage and low-lying areas.

Locations that will experience flash flooding include: Sutton, Gassaway, Birch River, Wallback, Holly River State Park, Flatwoods, and Centralia.

Highways in the warning: Route 19 between mile markers 47 and 61, between mile markers 64 and 66, and near mile marker 68; Interstate 79 between mile markers 34 and 80.

Source: NWS alert (api.weather.gov)

Stay Safe This Morning

Turn around, don’t drown. When you encounter a flooded road, turn around and find another route. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles — it takes very little moving water to sweep a car off the road. Never drive through flooded roadways, and never walk through moving water.

If water enters your home:

• Stay out of standing water where electricity may be present — assume any water in the home could be energized until power is confirmed off.
• Avoid the basement until water recedes and the power is confirmed off.
• Photograph everything before cleanup begins — room by room, wide shots and close-ups. Documentation matters for insurance.
• Call a local restoration contractor early — water left sitting starts a second wave of damage (mold, warping, bacterial growth) within a day or two.

What This Means for Restoration Teams

This is the bread-and-butter water-intrusion call: flash flooding of small creeks and streams and poor-drainage areas pushes water into basements, crawl spaces, and slab foundations across Sutton, Gassaway, Flatwoods, and the surrounding towns. Expect the call pattern contractors in central WV know well:

• Interior water intrusion — ground-level entry through doors, window wells, and foundation cracks, plus water backing up through floor drains in low-lying streets.
• Saturated drywall and insulation — anything wet past the paper backing is a tear-out, not a dry-out.
• Mold risk within 24–48 hours — with temperatures mild and humidity high after a morning storm, microbial growth starts fast. Drying equipment needs to be on-site same-day.
• Low-lying commercial along Route 19 and I-79 corridors — watch for retail and storage facilities near mile markers 47–61 and 64–68 that sit in drainage paths.

The play: stage equipment now, not when the phone rings. Pre-position air movers and dehumidifiers, keep an on-call rotation through the morning, and capture address + water source + affected areas on the first call — it decides the whole job scope. On-site: photo-document before mitigation, moisture-map every affected room, and keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts.

FEMA & Federal Assistance

If flooding damages your home or business, the FEMA Helpline is 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m.–10 p.m. local time, 7 days a week). You can also apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA app, or find a recovery center at fema.gov/drc.

Basic eligibility: U.S. citizenship or qualified status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it is safe to do so — documentation you capture today (photos, receipts, the warning itself) supports your claim.

Looking Ahead

This warning runs until 8:45 AM EDT Sunday. When it expires, that does not mean the water is gone — small creeks and streams in these counties can crest after the rain stops, and a second round of storms over already-saturated ground would re-trigger flooding fast. Watch NWS Charleston (weather.gov/rlx) for extensions or new warnings through the morning.

Demand window note for contractors: water-intrusion calls typically start within hours of water receding and keep coming for days as people discover damage — warped flooring, musty odors, wicking up drywall. Today’s Sutton/Gassaway/Flatwoods corridor is the call map for the next 72 hours.

Sources & How to Verify

• NWS Flash Flood Warning alert (api.weather.gov)
• NWS Charleston, WV — weather.gov/rlx

To verify for your own county or ZIP code: go to weather.gov, enter your ZIP in the search box, and check the active alerts for your area. Your county emergency management office carries local closure and evacuation information.

This post is for informational purposes and is not an official weather warning. Always follow instructions from local authorities and the National Weather Service.

ACTIVE: A Flash Flood Warning is in effect for the Cedar Rapids and eastern Iowa area, issued by the National Weather Service Quad Cities IA/IL at 3:08 AM CDT, expiring 8:00 AM CDT.

Between 1 and 2 inches have already fallen with 1 to 3 more inches possible — a multi-county setup across Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, and Linn counties, running right through Cedar Rapids on I-380.

This is a live snapshot as of 3:18 AM CDT. Conditions change fast — always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.

Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones & Linn Counties, Iowa — Flash Flood Warning

Issuing office: NWS Quad Cities IA/IL
Issued: 3:08 AM CDT
Expires: 8:00 AM CDT

Hazard: Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

Source: Radar indicated.

Locations expected to experience flash flooding include: Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Robins, Anamosa, Vinton, Marengo, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Solon, Ely, Fairfax, Walford, Mechanicsville, Stanwood, Palo, Belle Plaine, Center Point, Springville, Atkins.

Expected impacts: Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen, with additional rainfall of 1 to 3 inches possible. This includes Interstate 380 between mile markers 8 and 36 — expect flooded stretches on the main north-south corridor through the warned area.

Sources: NWS alert | NWS Quad Cities IA/IL office page

Stay Safe Tonight

Turn around, don’t drown. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles — never drive through flooded roadways, and be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads. Remain alert for flooding even in locations not receiving rain — arroyos, streams, and rivers can become raging killer currents in a matter of minutes, even from distant rainfall.

If water enters your home: stay out of standing water where electricity may be present, avoid the basement until water recedes and power is confirmed off, and photograph everything before cleanup — that documentation matters for insurance. Then call a local restoration contractor: water left sitting starts a second wave of damage within a day.

Report what you see: the NWS asks residents to report observed flooding to local emergency services or law enforcement and request they pass it to the National Weather Service — but only when it can be done safely.

What This Means for Restoration Teams

A warning like this one is the contractor’s early warning system for the next several days of inbound work. Six counties and the Cedar Rapids metro in one polygon — this is the scale of warning that generates a multi-day call queue: basements along the Cedar River corridor, saturated commercial ground floors, and low-lying subdivisions in Hiawatha and Robins.

• Basement and crawlspace flooding across the Cedar Rapids/Marion/Hiawatha metro — the classic Category 1–2 residential jobs that start the moment water recedes.
• Stormwater backup in low-lying urban streets and underpasses — sewage cross-contamination risk where combined systems are overwhelmed.
• Saturated drywall, carpet, and insulation with mold risk within 24–48 hours — crews that start drying same-day get the job, not the callback.
• I-380 corridor flooding (mile markers 8–36) — commercial and fleet clients along the interstate should be on the call list.

The play: pre-position drying assets across the metro now, keep an on-call rotation through the 8:00 AM expiry and into the morning commute, and capture address + water source + affected areas on the first call — with 3 more inches possible, crews should expect the call volume to build through sunrise.

Field discipline holds: photo-document before mitigation, moisture-map every affected room, and keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts.

FEMA & Federal Assistance

If flooding damages your home and you need federal help, the FEMA Helpline is 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, 7 days a week). You can also apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA app, or by finding a recovery center at fema.gov/drc.

Basic eligibility: U.S. citizenship or qualified immigration status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it’s safe to do so — you do not have to wait for an official disaster declaration to start the process.

Looking Ahead

This warning runs until 8:00 AM CDT, and with up to 3 additional inches possible, watch for reissues or extensions from NWS Quad Cities through the morning. Small creeks and streams can crest after the rain stops, and urban underpasses stay flooded into the commute window.

Water-intrusion calls typically start within hours of water receding and keep coming for days as people discover damage — saturated drywall, buckling floors, and musty odors that show up after the water is gone.

Sources & How to Verify

• NWS Flash Flood Warning alert (read September 20, 2026)
• NWS Quad Cities IA/IL office page (read September 20, 2026)
• weather.gov — enter your county or ZIP for the current warning picture

To verify for your own county or ZIP: go to weather.gov and enter your ZIP code, or check the issuing NWS office page for the latest updates and any reissues.

This post is for informational purposes and is not an official weather warning. Always follow instructions from local authorities and the National Weather Service.