Flash flooding snarls traffic in Cedar Rapids, Eastern Iowa

Emergency crews were working late into the night Thursday to deal with a series of flooded streets that impeded traffic throughout Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa.

As of 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Cedar Rapids police said they had taken more than 40 reports of flash-flooding-related incidents.

The weather hit the area at roughly 8:30 p.m., drenching streets and other low-lying spots with a deluge of water that continued to build into pools of rushing water as the rain poured on.

According to KCRG-TV9 meteorologist Joe Winters, at its peak rate, rain was falling at the rate of two inches per hour which caused the pooling of water. Winters said rainfall totals were in the range of three to four inches throughout Cedar Rapids by 11:00 p.m.

At Edgewood Road and 16th Avenue, cars turned around to avoid entering into what was an increasingly impassable pool of water.

Emergency crews responded to the scene, blocking off several of the locations checked out by KCRG-TV9 reporters, including the intersection of 42nd Street and Center Point Road as well as a portion of Boyson Road near Industrial Avenue.

Reporters indicated seeing cars stalled out and stranded in water high enough to cover the vehicle's tires. Meanwhile, Interstate 380 northbound was stuck at a standstill. At press time, the cause of the stoppage was not officially released by transportation authorities, although they did say they had responders there working on scene.