The Great Flood of 1993 on the river and its tributary the Raccoon , in the summer of 1993 , forced the evacuation of much of the city of Des Moines and nearby communities . In another period of flooding , on June 13 , 2008 , officials issued a voluntary evacuation order for much of downtown and other areas bordering the Des Moines River . The river had reached flood stage in many locations , and Mayor Frank Cownie said the evacuations were an attempt " to err on the side of citizens and residents . " According to the Geographic Names Information System , the Des Moines River has also been known as :
Great Flood of 1993
Great Flood of 1993
Des Moines River