Midwest Flooding Crisis: More Rainfall Means More Flooding for Iowa, Minnesota | The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel

Residents are tired of it, but the floodwaters rose again Sunday in the midst of more heavy rain.

By

Sean Breslin

June 30, 2014




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With the Mississippi River and other waterways still in flood stage, the rains came again for parts of the Upper Midwest Sunday, sending residents scrambling from the rising waters yet again.

In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, several inches of rain filled some streets with water, forcing rescue crews to help stranded drivers and clear debris from roadways, according to KCRG-TV. The report also stated the Wapsipinicon River at Anamosa rose 6.2 feet in 4.5 hours, bringing it back into moderate flood stage.

More rainfall is expected Monday for some of the same areas, and officials have urged residents to be especially cautious of weather conditions, especially when driving.

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The Mississippi River remains in flood stage from Minneapolis to areas near St. Louis as rainy days have become more than an annoyance – they've threatened lives. A mudslide in Minneapolis swallowed up a street last week, and thousands of acres of crops have drowned in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

For the Twin Cities, flood warnings have been a part of everyday life for several weeks.

"What are ya gonna do about it? Mother Nature has her own ideas," Bryan Meyer, Uptown resident, told KARE-TV.

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Flood Alerts


The Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin compiling its preliminary damage assessment of flooding in Minnesota on Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said.

The agency's assessment will take about a week, Klobuchar said Sunday. The assessment starts the process of bringing federal help to the state and counties with public infrastructure damage.

The National Weather Service said 2014 has been the wettest year on record in the Twin Cities, with 25.82 inches of precipitation, the Star Tribune reported. That far surpasses the old record of 22.2 inches set in 1965.

Through Sunday, rainfall for June measured 11.35 inches at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. That's just 0.32 inches short of the record 11.67 inches that fell in 1874, meteorologist Chris Franks said.

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Meanwhile, heavy rain Friday caused part of the roof of St. Mary's Catholic School in Morris in western Minnesota to collapse. Officials say no one was hurt.

Around Prior Lake southwest of Minneapolis, water levels came within 1.5 inches of the lake's 1907 record, 907.6 feet above sea level, Mayor Ken Hedberg said.

Hedberg said he waded through two neighborhoods Sunday that still have flooded streets.

"People told me they are in pretty good shape," Hedberg said. "They walk through the water to their homes or stay with friends. I feel we are in pretty good shape given the circumstances."

About 60 homeowners, many who have dealt with backed-up drains or wet basements, have sandbagged and two residents have evacuated their homes, Hedberg said.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Images of Flooding in the Midwest


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St. Paul, Minnesota

A young boy checks out the water covering the playground at Harriet Island where the Mississippi River continued to rise, Tuesday, June 24, 2014, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)