(Radio Iowa/KJAN) — September wrapped up in Iowa feeling more like June. State climatologist Justin Glisan says the statewide average temperature for the month ended up around 68-degrees, which is five-degrees warmer than normal. Glisan says besides being warmer, the weather was also wetter. “We were at about 6.5 inches across the state and that’s almost 3.38 inches above average,” Glisan says. “Yes, trending wet. If you look at the borders between Iowa and Illinois, anywhere from 200 to 300% above normal precipitation.”

Here in Atlantic, September was also wetter and warmer. Rainfall for the month, which is normally 3.81 inches, amounted to 8.82 inches, or nearly 5 inches above average. The average High last month was 81, which was about 5 degrees warmer than normal, and the average Low was 58, or about a little more than 7 degrees above normal.

Glisan says forecasts indicate the shift toward wetter, warmer weather may well continue into this month. “We should see seasonal if not slightly above-average temperatures for the first part of October,” Glisan says. “As for rainfall, we are having higher probabilities of wetter-than-normal conditions.” We saw a very similar set-up heading into autumn a year ago. “We did see the third-wettest September in 2018 followed by the seventh-wettest October, combining those for the third-wettest fall on record,” Glisan says. “Hopefully, we don’t get into that type of situation this year.”

In October, Atlantic typically receives 2.76 inches of rain. The average High is 64.1, and the average Low is 39. The flash flood watches being issued by the National Weather Service have multiplied in number since Monday and now cover 78 of the state’s 99 counties.  “We’re stuck in this jetstream pattern where we’re getting wave after wave of rainfall over the state,” he says. “These flash flood watches span several states.” Forecasters say dry weather is expected later this week, on Thursday and Friday, but more rain is likely Friday night and into Saturday.

(Radio Iowa) — With forecasts calling for up to five inches of rain over three days this week, several counties in southwest Iowa are preparing for more Missouri River flooding. Michael Bertacini is an emergency management specialist with Pottawattamie County. He says around 40 homes are in the area of concern in the northwestern part of the county. “Most of those residents were actually out of their homes before this happened,” Bertacini says. “It’s just prolonging the effects of the flooding. These people have been flooded since March so it’s a bad deal for them because some people haven’t even been in their homes from March.”

Bertacini says it’s possible the impacts could mirror what the county saw this spring, though the river could crest about a foot lower. “All the county roads in the northwest part of the county on the west side of I-29 were basically underwater. I-680 and I-29 also went under,” he says. “It forces the water table to rise in Council Bluffs.”

Bertacini says people who live in Council Bluffs could see basement flooding if the storm sewers are not able to keep up with the heavy rainfall. In a joint news release, Pottawattamie, Harrison and Mills counties say it’s unclear where the heaviest rains will fall, so people should stay alert.