Historic flooding continues in Plains

Snow melt and rain produce record-breaking flooding

ROANOKE, Va. – First it was the heavy snow in February, then the warm up. The combination of rapid snow melt and heavy rain has caused catastrophic flooding for a good portion of the northern plains.

The purple dots through Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota represent rivers or streams experiencing major flooding. More than a dozen of those have set new records.

Within the last week, snow cover nationwide has dropped 7 percent. Most of the melt has occurred in and around the areas experiencing the flooding. 

Just last week, Sioux City, Iowa had about a foot of snow on the ground. Five days later, it was all gone. On top of the snow melt, 2-3 inches of rain fell in that time period. 

This snow melt and rain occurred across a large area from Minnesota through the Dakotas into Nebraska and Iowa to create the widespread devastation.

Flood warnings extend all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico as these rivers drain into the Mississippi.

 

 


About the Author:

Jonathan Kegges joined the News 6 team in June 2019 and now covers weather on TV and all digital platforms.