Wettest winter on record, widespread Midwest flooding

According to the USDA NRCS Water and Climate Update weekly report, the winter of 2018-19 was the wettest ever for the U.S. Record-setting snow fell in the West and upper Midwest, culminating in the second-wettest February on record. Meanwhile, steady rainstorms crossed the Midwest with 19 states having a top 10 wettest February and Tennessee having the wettest February on record. The heavy rain from the recent Bomb Cyclone, coupled with melting snow, caused massive flooding across the region. Rapidly rising floodwaters have inundated towns and agricultural lands, leading to widespread evacuations and limited access to many disaster areas. The National Weather Service has forecast that the spring flooding could be worse than the historic floods of 1993 and 2011. Read more…