Spring melt could have long-term implications.

The Minnesota River and the Red River of the North are two at the highest of the list of U.S. flood risks in the arrival weeks.

Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency also recorded the James River in North Dakota and Big Sioux River in South Dakota, as well as the Mississippi River as of the Twin Cities to St. Louis as likely to see great or even record flooding within the next pair weeks.

Image via Wikipedia

In North Dakota, Devils Lake has an 80 percent chance of reaching 2 feet above last year’s record of 1,452.1 feet.

In a press conference Thursday, officials said minor flooding could begin this week on the Mississippi River and its tributaries over southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin, leading to moderate to major flooding by early April. They targeted Red River flooding for the last week of March through early April.

The melt of a thick blanket of snow across the northern plains could also set the stage for summer flooding along the Mississippi by keeping that river high. It could also have an impact on the barge shipping season and delay crop planting. This winter’s snow cover across the north-central U.S. contains a water content ranked among the highest of the last 60 years, according to NOAA.

Parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois have already experienced major flooding, and lower New York, eastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey remain vulnerable to flooding from snowmelt.

“The worst is still ahead,” said Jack Hayes, director of the National Weather Service, noting that more than half the continental U.S. is facing an above-average flood risk.

Weather outlooks into April for the northern plains are weighted toward cooler- and wetter-than normal conditions across the northern plains.

Tributaries of major rivers in Minnesota, including the South Fork of the Crow River at Delano, the Cottonwood at New Ulm and the Zumbro at Zumbro Falls have already begun rising. Zumbro Falls, still cleaning up from a devastating and record flash flood in September, is expected to see little impact from a crest predicted for Monday.

2
Liked it
Comments (2)
Leave a Comment

Hi there!

Hello! Welcome to Authspot, the spot for creative writing.
Read some stories and poems, and be sure to subscribe to our feed!

Find the Spot

Loading