Spring flooding could be 'unprecedented' with 200 million Americans at risk .....

PopsnTuff

PopsnTuff

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Spring flooding has already been disastrous, and it's likely to get worse, federal forecasters announced Thursday. Floods could reach "unprecedented" and "potentially historic" levels.
Almost the entire eastern two-thirds of the nation should see flooding this spring, National Weather Service deputy director Mary Erickson said at a news conference on Thursday. Some 25 states are forecast to see "moderate" to "major" flooding, the weather service said.
The Midwest floods are “a preview of what we expect throughout the rest of the spring,” she said. "The flooding this year could be worse than what we have seen in previous years ... even worse than the historic floods we saw in 1993 and 2011," Erickson added.

The Midwest floods are “a preview of what we expect throughout the rest of the spring,” she said. "The flooding this year could be worse than what we have seen in previous years ... even worse than the historic floods we saw in 1993 and 2011," Erickson added.
The deadly, destructive flooding that began last week from Minnesota to Missouri has killed at least four people, caused more than $1.5 billion in estimated losses and damages and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.

Scientists said this month's flooding was caused by rapid snow melt combined with heavy spring rain and late-season snowfall in areas where the ground was already saturated. Much of the precipitation fell during the "bomb cyclone" that whipped the region last week.
https://news.yahoo.com/spring-flooding-could-apos-unprecedented-181946279.html
 

We were near the Missouri River yesterday, in the central part of the State, and the river is very close to going over its bank. We are well above normal rainfall for the year, and heavy storms are forecasted for this coming weekend. Farms are nothing but mud fields in much of the area, and farmers are already well behind schedule for this years planting. Between the excessive local rainfall, and the major melting of heavy snows to the North, things are not looking good for anyone in low lying areas near the Missouri River.
 
I predicted more than 10 years ago that this was going to start happening. Not only with worsening floods but tornadoes and hurricanes too. A couple of years later, scientists came out and said the same thing. So many areas have suffered massive flooding both nationally and internationally that it's mind boggling.
 

Let's be honest here. Man has always done his best to challenge nature, challenge the ecology, etc. But some forces of Nature or the weather will always remain the same. We settled into areas that are prone to flooding, and all too often insist on remaining there when we have faced disaster. I believe it would make the most sense if we finally decided to take greater stock of the realities involved, and adjusted our living arrangements accordingly.

That might mean we abandon Florida entirely, for example.
 
ronk said:
Let's be honest here. Man has always done his best to challenge nature, challenge the ecology, etc. But some forces of Nature or the weather will always remain the same. We settled into areas that are prone to flooding, and all too often insist on remaining there when we have faced disaster. I believe it would make the most sense if we finally decided to take greater stock of the realities involved, and adjusted our living arrangements accordingly.

That might mean we abandon Florida entirely, for example.
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I see your point Ron and have thought the same things myself during the most recent CA fires. CA has fires and now too many people and homes are there for it's environment.

But the midwest is crucial for our farming. I don't know what else we could do about the flooding in that area.
 
ronk said:
Let's be honest here. Man has always done his best to challenge nature, challenge the ecology, etc. But some forces of Nature or the weather will always remain the same. We settled into areas that are prone to flooding, and all too often insist on remaining there when we have faced disaster. I believe it would make the most sense if we finally decided to take greater stock of the realities involved, and adjusted our living arrangements accordingly.

That might mean we abandon Florida entirely, for example.
Click to expand...

Got that right! It's one of many 'national scandals' that people keep rebuilding in areas that are prone to river flooding, or ocean caused flooding from hurricanes along with the rising oceans. We pour ridiculous amounts of money into a system that gives homes to people that want to live on an oceanfront. And, we all pay to keep rebuilding.
More specific to the midwest, a boatload of levees were breached. It would be less expensive to remediate all the levees (and there are lots) all over the midwest states. Of course, building the levees higher causes more water to be channeled in small areas. There are all sorts of floodplain management techniques about which you can read/research that are possible. Some of it would involve moving people and farms to create immense floodplains/retention ponds. It's part of the lack of infrastructure spending in this country. We're going to continue to repeat these floods and no one is going to do anything about it.
 
I now live about 2.5 miles from the Mississippi River. I hear there are some flooding concerns downtown. I don't go down there often. I might go down there to see just how the flooding situation is, locally.
 
The heavy rains forecasted a few days ago, for Missouri, have arrived this afternoon, and may continue until Saturday....with as much as 3 inches forecasted over an already saturated area. Many of the areas within 5 miles of both the Missouri and Mississippi rivers are already very close to flood stage, and this heavy rain could push many of them into being swamped, as all this extra rainfall finds its way into the rivers.
 
??? thoughts:

1. normal changes in 100 year weather patterns?
2. the result of climate change caused by global warming?
3. signs of the biblical end times?
 
gumbud said:
??? thoughts:

1. normal changes in 100 year weather patterns?
2. the result of climate change caused by global warming?
3. signs of the biblical end times?
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Climate change. I'm sure you're aware that weather patterns have changed all over the world. But, as I stated in previous posting, flooding could be mitigated with some extensive and expensive planning if the will were there. I don't think anyone will do anything except a few band aids (plasters, for the UK folks) in my lifetime.
 
The only good news the weather will only get warmer with the arrival of spring. Hopefully the lack of mud from frozen ground makes clean up easier.

Cannot forget these areas of the country. Is there a donation item they are looking for in particular? An organization?

Again speedy recovery and rip victims.
 
ronk said:
I now live about 2.5 miles from the Mississippi River. I hear there are some flooding concerns downtown. I don't go down there often. I might go down there to see just how the flooding situation is, locally.
Click to expand...
You're right about adjusting living arrangements (to avoid disaster prone areas). But some people insist on rebuilding right in those same locations. We live a little less than a mile from where a river runs through town. The area immediately surrounding it always gets flooded, sometimes enough to need boat rescues. Blessedly even though I can easily walk to those areas, we don't get floods in our neighborhood. Once I saw that cars parked outside of the apartment complex where my uncle used to live had water up to the tops of their windows. If I were visiting, that's where I'd have to park. Good thing my uncle always parked in their lot which was elevated. There are people who live in a ritzy area not far from our town who have suffered devastating floods. The government offered them money for buy outs but not nearly what those homes are worth. I wondered if they realized that they were buying in flood zones and shouldn't realtors given full disclosure about that?
 
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