Media interest in natural disasters concentrates on events such as hurricanes that happen over a short period in a specific area. Sometimes, though, destructive weather effects build up gradually across a region over many months, like the floods afflicting the American midwest this year.
A blizzard described by the National Weather Service as “of historic proportions” in March added to already deep snow cover. Spring rains rapidly melted the snow and the inundation began. Above-average rainfall has continued through August, and a slow-motion disaster has played out.
Farmlands and roads have been flooded, and communities evacuated. Emergencies were declared over a wide area, with 11 states requesting federal disaster relief. One Nebraska official described the flooding there as “biblical”. Satellite data indicated that the Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas rivers had all reached record-breaking levels.
Millions of acres of farmland have been underwater for months. There have been few deaths, though, and the communities affected are mainly in poor rural areas, so the floods rarely make the national news.
The damage already runs to billions of dollars, but a full assessment is impossible until the waters recede and the impact on the harvest is known. Recovery is likely to take at least a decade, and this would be set back if there is further flooding during that period.
