Electric Co-op Today

Federal agencies are warning that the risk of spring flooding along many of the great rivers of the United States will be high through April. Since many of those waterways flow through areas served by electric cooperatives, crews may spend time in the coming weeks responding to high water problems in low-lying areas.

Forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warn that conditions are ripe for major flooding in many areas of the United States this spring. (Graphic by: NOAA)

“For the third consecutive year, the stage is set for potential widespread, record flooding in the North Central United States,” said Jack Hayes, director of the National Weather Service in a March 17 statement.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned that areas facing the highest risks are communities along the Red River, which forms part of the state line shared by North Dakota and Minnesota.

Forecasters also warned that major flooding could occur along Montana’s Milk River, the James and Big Sioux rivers of South Dakota and the Minnesota River. Flooding risks are also high in the upper Mississippi River basin from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area southward to St. Louis.

“All the ingredients are in place for major flooding, so this situation should be taken seriously,” said Hayes. The forecasters cited heavy precipitation that occurred late last summer and through the fall, followed by heavy winter snowfalls, which left soils saturated with little capacity to absorb spring run-off.

“As the nation’s most common and expensive natural disaster, floods can strike virtually every community,” said Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Floods claim about 100 lives in the United States each year. Billions of dollars in flood-related property losses are reported annually, but most homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover flooding. FEMA’s National Flood Insurance policies are available, but in most cases, policies must be in force 30 days before coverage begins.

Spring flooding has already begun over portions of the United States, and warmer temperatures in the Upper Midwest could spark minor flooding within days and major flooding by early April, wrote NOAA forecasters. “The worst is yet to come.”

Tags: Flooding, Seasonal Forecasts, Weather