2019 Midwestern floods

2019 Midwestern floods
Name	2019 Midwestern floods
Caption	Flooding along the Missouri River and tributaries in 2019
Date	March–May 2019
Affected	United States Midwest
Damages	Estimated billions of dollars
Fatalities	Dozens

2019 Midwestern floods The 2019 Midwestern floods were a series of prolonged flood events that struck the Midwestern United States during spring 2019, producing record streamflows on the Missouri River, Mississippi River, and numerous tributaries. The events followed an unusually snowy winter and rapid spring thaw, impacting communities across Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and North Dakota. The floods prompted large-scale evacuations, major infrastructure damage, agricultural losses, and federal disaster declarations.

Background

In the months preceding the floods, precipitation patterns over the Central Plains and Upper Midwest were shaped by a sequence of weather systems linked to anomalies in the Pacific jet stream, the Arctic Oscillation, and the North Atlantic Oscillation. Snowpack accumulation in the Rocky Mountains headwaters and the High Plains basins coupled with saturated soils in the Missouri River Basin and the Mississippi River Basin increased runoff potential. Reservoir operations at facilities managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and water management in the Bureau of Reclamation's areas were stressed by competing demands from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges, navigation interests represented by the American Waterways Operators, and agricultural stakeholders including the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Meteorological causes

Meteorologists attributed the flooding to a combination of persistent storm systems carrying Pacific moisture, an active El Niño–Southern Oscillation signal influencing mid-latitude circulation, and late-season bouts of heavy rainfall over frozen or saturated soils. Reanalysis data showed anomalous upper-level troughs associated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's climate diagnostics, while the National Weather Service documented consecutive 100‑year and 500‑year flood exceedances on rivers monitored by the United States Geological Survey. Snowmelt rates accelerated by above-average temperatures reported by the National Centers for Environmental Information, and convective systems produced widespread rainfall reported by the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center and the Storm Prediction Center.

Affected areas and impacts

Flood stages overtopped levees, inundated floodplains, and closed major transportation corridors across multiple states. In Nebraska, overtopping along the Elkhorn River and the Platte River affected Omaha, Lincoln, and agricultural counties including Dodge County. Iowa counties such as Cedar County, Muscatine County, and Scott County experienced levee breaches that flooded Davenport and Bettendorf, disrupting operations at Quad Cities International Airport and riverports serving ADM and Cargill facilities. In South Dakota, the James River and Big Sioux River inundated communities including Sioux Falls and Brookings. The Missouri River system saw record flows affecting Kansas City, St. Joseph, and navigation locks managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District. Agricultural impacts were severe in Iowa and Nebraska corn and soybean regions represented by the Iowa Soybean Association and the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, while dairy operations in Wisconsin near the Fox River faced barn inundation. Transportation disruptions closed segments of Interstate 29, U.S. Route 20, and rail lines operated by Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway, affecting freight flows to terminals operated by Port of South Louisiana-linked companies and grain elevators owned by CHS Inc..

Emergency response and recovery

Local emergency management agencies coordinated evacuations and sheltering with support from state governors including the governors of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, who requested federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The National Guard units from multiple states mobilized to perform sandbagging, water rescues, and levee reinforcement alongside crews from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and personnel from the American Red Cross. Volunteer organizations such as Team Rubicon and Habitat for Humanity joined recovery efforts along with logistics assistance from the Salvation Army. The Federal Highway Administration coordinated road repairs, and the Environmental Protection Agency monitored potential contamination from wastewater treatment plants and confined animal feeding operations regulated under the Clean Water Act and overseen by regional EPA offices.

Economic and environmental consequences

Direct economic losses included crop damage reported by the United States Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency and livestock losses compiled by state departments of agriculture. Commodity markets responded with price signals on the Chicago Board of Trade and Minneapolis Grain Exchange, while insurers represented by the Insurance Information Institute estimated substantial payouts. Infrastructure repair costs involved the Federal Highway Administration and Army Corps projects to restore levees and drainage, with impacts to inland shipping companies organized under the American Association of Port Authorities. Environmentally, flooded wetlands and refuges managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service experienced altered habitat conditions for species monitored by the United States Geological Survey and the National Audubon Society, while nutrient-laden runoff raised concerns for algal blooms in downstream waters overseen by the Great Lakes Commission and the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force.

Aftermath and policy changes

In the aftermath, Congressional delegations from affected states engaged with the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to evaluate flood mitigation funding, disaster assistance via the Stafford Act, and reforms to floodplain mapping under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Flood Insurance Program. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reviewed reservoir operation manuals coordinated with the International Joint Commission where transboundary basins interfaced with Environment and Climate Change Canada. State legislatures in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota considered revisions to levee districts and drainage law, and conservation organizations including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the The Nature Conservancy advocated for expanded floodplain restoration and wetland resiliency programs administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Litigation involving drainage districts, utilities such as Ameren Corporation and MidAmerican Energy Company, and impacted landowners prompted ongoing adjudication in state courts and appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals in several circuits.

Category:Natural disasters in the United States Category:2019 natural disasters Category:Floods in the United States