Call it What You Want, Iowa's Climate Reckoning is Here

Extreme weather, global warming, a need for resilience; whatever you call it, look around and you’ll see the reality—Iowa's climate reckoning is here. The question we should be asking ourselves is what will we do now? 

First, a note: Climate is not the weather. It’s not a single flood, one powerful storm, or a weeklong heat wave. Rather, it is the patterns of weather over time. 

With widespread and devasting flooding in northwest Iowa, one of the state’s earliest and most intense heat waves in recorded history happening in June, and the record-shattering tornadoes we’ve seen this spring, our state is dealing with extreme weather from river to river. 

The culprit? Iowa’s climate is getting hotter, and we are causing it with the cars we drive, the electricity we produce, and the land we farm. 

Iowa’s average annual temperature has already risen more than 1°F since the beginning of the 1900s according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 2023 was also the hottest year on record by far globally and in North America, with the last colder-than-average year being nearly 50 years ago. 

Our precipitation (rain, snow, etc.) is also getting more intense but happening during shorter windows of time. This paradoxically fuels both longer droughts and flash flooding. NOAA says Iowa’s springtime precipitation has been above average since 1990 and annual precipitation has generally been several inches above average for the past 16 years.  

Areas in Northwest Iowa received more than 15 inches of rain within just a couple of days, causing the Big Sioux River to rise to nearly 45 feet, smashing its 2014 record by more than 7 feet. Rock Valley was inundated by the Rock River, which grew to over 100 times its normal volume and broke its highest record by over 5 feet.  

The Rock Valley economic development director, David Miller, summarized our collective challenge effectively to the Des Moines Register saying, “We didn’t have any levee breach...The water was just that high of a level.” 

This illustrates a key point. Infrastructure failure is not to blame for those affected by the flooding. Iowa’s infrastructure was built for a different time—a different climate—and we need to adapt. 

How many communities have experienced a 100-year flood several times in the last 5 years? How many scorching heat waves have strained the health of our most vulnerable residents while testing our power grid? It’s easy to wonder how many ‘unprecedented’ weather events need to happen, like an $11 billion derecho in 2020 and a $1.8 billion tornado outbreak in 2021, and how many insurers must flee the state before our leaders see what is right in front of us. 

The extreme effects of climate change don’t have a political party. Heat waves, powerful storms, or devastating floods don’t care who you vote for or whether you live in a red or blue state. For those in Greenfield, the recent tornado that ripped through the center of town had no regard for anything in its path, let alone politics. Yet, its winds reached speeds up to 318 miles per hour, placing it in the top 3 strongest tornadoes in U.S. history. 

Climate change is occurring and how we react is within our control. That is why the Iowa Environmental Council calls on our state’s leaders to reengage in the dialogue around climate solutions. During this year of climate reckoning, our state’s leaders in the legislature and governor’s office need to take this challenge seriously and honor the oaths they swore to lead our people during times of change.  

Iowa’s future depends on it.