Photos: Major flooding in Des Moines kills longtime Iowa sportscaster

Over half a foot of rain fell across central Iowa on Saturday night, triggering widespread flash flooding in and around Des Moines.

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Emergency for the Des Moines metro area at 9:30 p.m. CDT as widespread and severe flash flooding was ongoing in Polk and Dallas counties.

Initial rainfall totals of 5-10 inches were reported around the area, with much of this rain falling within 2-3 hours.

Dozens of water rescues have been performed across the region.

Three people were swept away by the floodwaters in Des Moines, according to KCRG. Two people have been found safe, while a third was found dead.

Des Moines police confirmed on Sunday that longtime Iowa sportscaster Larry Cotlar was the victim.

Police said 66-year-old Cotlar died when he was swept away in floodwaters after his van stalled on a flooded north Des Moines street on Saturday. His body was found nearly four hours later, several blocks away.

Cotlar had worked as the voice of Drake University's teams since 2005, according to AP News.

Flooding closed a portion of Interstate 35, and some drivers were left stranded as water levels rose rapidly and their vehicles stalled.

Motorists were seen going the wrong direction up an exit ramp on I-235 to avoid floodwaters.

Turning around to avoid floodwaters is the best decision you can make, even if it is a one-way road, as the water is likely deeper than it appears and the roadway underneath could be compromised.

The Walnut Creek gage at Des Moines exceeded 19 feet, which broke the previous gage height record of 18.59 feet set in August 2010.

Fourmile Creek also surpassed a previous flood record of 16.1 feet, reaching 17.47 feet early Sunday morning.

The high rainfall totals were due to a combination of thunderstorms moving over the same areas and a large amount of moisture in the air.

"The atmosphere had an anomalously large amount of water to ring out," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun said.

North of the city, more recreation areas of Saylorville Lake have closed due to high water levels. Runoff from the rain may cause the lake to rise even further than previous projections by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Drier weather has returned and is expected to hold into the Fourth of July, which will help floodwaters to recede and residents and businesses to begin cleanup and recovery efforts.

Flooding in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday night. (Twitter photo/@mteor90)

Extensive flooding in central Iowa on Saturday night. (Twitter photo/@AACIowa)

Flood waters cover half of a mailbox's post on Saturday night in Johnston, Iowa. (Photo/Rick Schraeger)