Record floods hit U.S. Midwest – ‘We have seen some of the worst flooding damage to neighborhoods and homes across our state in Illinois history’
By Doyle Rice
23 April 2013 (USA TODAY) – A rainy Tuesday added to flooding misery in the Midwest, as bloated rivers and streams continued to rise across the region. Floodwaters rose to record levels along the Illinois River in central Illinois on Tuesday, while in Missouri, six levees north of St. Louis were overtopped by the surging Mississippi River, though mostly farmland was affected. The Mississippi and Illinois rivers have crested in some places, but the danger continues. The National Weather Service predicts a very slow descent, largely in part to the additional rainfall. As floodwater continues to slowly make its way down the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, fears are rising for a separate flood event along the Red River of the North this weekend and into next week, AccuWeather reports. The Red River is projected to reach major to near-record stages within the next week or so, due to melting snow and minor rainfall events, according to the weather service. Cities most at risk include Fargo and Grand Forks, N.D., and Moorehead, Minn. “An end of cold, snowy pattern is coming quickly to the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest,” reports AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. “However, the sudden shift to more seasonable temperatures will lead to problems.” “Much of the existing snow cover will wither away this weekend into early next week,” he says, due to temperatures that are forecast to rise into the 60s and 70s. “As this happens, water locked up in the snow will be released.” The snow is unusually deep for this time of year due to an unusually cold and snowy April. For instance, Fargo has seen more than 16 inches of snow so far this month, according to the weather service; a typical April in Fargo has 3.3 inches. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as of Tuesday, 91.9% of the Upper Midwest is covered with snow, compared to the 0.4% of the Upper Midwest that was snow-covered on this date in 2012. [more]
Misery washes over Midwest as floodwaters rise 
By Lateef Mungin
23 April 2013 (CNN) – Having suffered from flooding since Sunday, the last thing many in the Midwest want to hear about is rain. But at least another inch is expected Tuesday, as those hit hardest figure out what steps to take. Deluges over the weekend left people homeless, rivers at dangerous levels and many in precarious situations. “The more I see the water come up, the more I’ll cry,” said Starlynn Winchell, as she stared at floodwater rushing up against her home in Spring Bay, Illinois. Winchell is one of many people in riverside communities this week inundated by flooding. At least six rivers in northern Illinois surged to record levels in recent days after the area was pummeled with 5 inches of rain. Flooding has displaced thousands and pushed Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn to declare 44 counties as disaster areas. “We have seen some of the worst flooding damage to neighborhoods and homes across our state in Illinois history,” Quinn said Monday. The Illinois River in Spring Bay was cresting, but officials predict it will take a week and a half for the area to dry up. Downpours have left flooding concerns for rivers in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, Mississippi and Michigan, the National Weather Service said. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency after flash flooding hit many areas. “The sustained periods of heavy rainfall (have) swollen creeks and streams and is pushing the Mississippi River over flood levels, endangering river communities,” Nixon said. [more]
