The flooding in the Midwest is truly historic. A broad area from Oklahoma and Kansas NE across Missouri, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin is waterlogged from way too much rain so far this year. To make conditions worse, there were some tornado warnings in Eastern Iowa yesterday afternoon. They were quite a few wind gusts to 50 mph in thunderstorms. The hail near Marshalltown, Iowa was heavy enough and big enough to strip leaves from the trees.
A real tragic situation in Des Moines where a levee was breeched and this caused a large number of evacuations from the city center, including the downtown area.
Around the region, as recent as yesterday, over 200 NWS river forecast locations were in flood with 46 locations reporting major flooding and 73 others moderate flooding.
Thousands of homes and hundreds of businesses have been flooded, especially in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where 100 city blocks were underwater and there were numerous evacuations. Countless roads are flooded and many closed. Road damage is extensive. All Cedar River bridges in downtown Cedar Rapids, except the I-380 bridge, had to be closed. I-80 was closed from Davenport to Des Moines. Many levees and earthen dams have failed or are on the verge of failing.
We certainly have to feel for those people. Can you imagine losing everything you have when the water swirls up all the way to the ceiling in your home? Most people do not have flood insurance.
Iowa is one of the leading corn producing states. Tragically, many farmers will see their corn crop turn out to be a total loss.
It’s going to take at least a week for the river to get back in its banks in Cedar Rapids, even with no more rain.
