Many Des Moines-area streets — including Merle Hay Road, Urbandale Avenue, Keosauqua Way and Mills Civic Parkway, to name a few — were inundated with floodwaters, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood emergency.
Des Moines police said a 65-year-old Des Moines man was swept away by floodwaters late Saturday near 50th Street and Twana Avenue, and authorities searched for the victim into the early-morning hours.
Paul Parizek said first responders found the body of the missing person around 12:40 a.m. Sunday.
The Iowa Department of Transportation reported that Interstate 35 southbound was blocked due to flooding in Ankeny.
Trained weather spotters reported flash flooding in those areas.
At one point in the night, rain fell at a rate of more than 4 inches per hour across much of the metro.
Other areas affected by flooding included Nevada, Huxley, Maxwell, Colo, Cambridge and Collins.
Weather officials saw rises along Walnut, Jordan, Beaver, Fourmile creeks, as well as the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, proving to be a dangerous situation with the rapid rises.
In the Des Moines suburb of Clive, city officials ordered that residents and businesses along Walnut Creek evacuate due to major flooding in the area.
Authorities in many Des Moines suburban areas — including Ankeny, Des Moines, Johnston and Urbandale — responded to water rescues, many of which were due to vehicles stalled in standing water.