Warm weather and rain are causing the snow and ice that’s covered Iowa for much of December to melt, and that has the Iowa Emergency Management Division watching for potential flooding. Division administrator, David Miller, says it’s a legitimate concern now with all the moisture the state has had recently.
Miller says it might seem premature now, as they normally start looking at the flood outlook in the spring, but he says they’ve already started talking about it with the National Weather Service. Miller says they look at the snowpack and how much rain they expect, and already have found some potential for minor flooding on some of the streams leading to rivers. He says it’s not a major concern just yet.
Miller says the potential flooding right now is in low-lying areas and ag land, which he says isn’t a concern with no crops in. He says if we get a little more snow and a little more rain, then it will become more serious, and they will continue watching the situation. Miller says some type of flooding is almost a given each year in Iowa — but the flooding doesn’t always lead to damage or problems.