The Iowa Flood Information System ( IFIS) shows flood warnings across Eastern Iowa on April 18, 2013. IFISusers can click on a location to view the current stream stage at that gaugeand a graph of stream levels over the past week. Map courtesy of Iowa Flood Center.

With the recent heavy rains the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) at the University of Iowa reminds Iowans about an online tool, the Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS), which provides information about community-specific flood conditions including current stream and river levels at nearly 275 U.S. Geological Survey and IFC gauges across the state. To access IFIS, visit ifis.iowafloodcenter.org. From this page, users may launch IFIS or view a brief tutorial on how to use the system.

Developed by the Iowa Flood Center, the IFIS is a user-friendly online application that uses a Google Maps-interface. IFIS displays up-to-the-minute and community-specific information about rainfall, stream levels, and more, including:

• Real-time stream levels at nearly 275 locations in Iowa
• Current flood warnings and stream forecasts
• Real-time rainfall maps displaying current conditions and past rainfall accumulation, and
• Flood inundation maps for select communities including Cedar Rapids, Charles City, Elkader, Iowa City, Hills, Mason City and Waterloo/Cedar Falls

The Iowa Flood Center is part of IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering, a research institute based at the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering. The IFC was established in 2009 to provide accurate, state-of-the-science-based information to help Iowans better understand their flood risks. It is the nation's first academic center devoted solely to the study of floods.