Friday, August 13, 2010

Western U.S. Midwest gets soaked, Iowa soaked

Reuters: The worst flooding in nearly 20 years was pounding parts of Iowa on Wednesday, washing cars off roadways and forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes. Highways were closed and crops were drowning in farm fields following days of heavy downpours that left the state facing conditions that officials said could rival the historic flooding seen throughout the Midwest in 1993.

The central part of Iowa was hit particularly hard as nearly four inches of rain fell in the past day on top of more than seven inches since the weekend in that area. Iowa State University in Ames was forced to cancel football practice as high waters overtook the school and players rushed to help stack sandbags around buildings on campus.

The flooding has caused state transportation officials to close state and U.S. highways and the American Red Cross said Wednesday it was opening shelters in the area to help those having to flee homes hit by flooding….

Man watching an Iowa flood in 2008, shot by Patsy Lynch of FEMA, Wikimedia Commons

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