Moderate risk of spring flooding in Mississippi, Ohio river valleys

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, has issued its three-month U.S. Spring Outlook.

The outlook, issued March 15, highlighted a moderate risk of flooding in the Ohio River Valley basin and lower Mississippi River, where stream flows and soil moisture are well above normal after major flooding from recent heavy rainfall.

Flooding already has occurred this year in the river valleys.

Drought is forecast to persist or worsen in the southern and central Plains, Southwest and California, according to the NOAA forecast, as warmer and drier-than-normal weather is likely to engulf the region this spring.

Flooding

Even ahead of the typical spring flood season, heavy rainfall has already caused damaging floods in the Ohio and Mississippi river basins and brought record flooding to the lower Great Lakes region.

“Flooding that began in mid-February is still ongoing for parts of the middle and lower Mississippi Valley and is forecast to continue for at least the next few weeks,” said Thomas Graziano, director of NOAA’s Office of Water Prediction. 

“We encourage people nationwide to be prepared for the range of spring weather threats, including flooding, and tune into local forecasts to monitor their individual risk.”

Through May, moderate flooding is likely in the lower Mississippi Valley, parts of the Ohio River Basin, the Illinois River Basin and in parts of the lower Missouri River Basin. 

The flood risk outlook is based on a number of factors, including current conditions of snowpack, drought, soil moisture, frost depth, streamflow and precipitation. 

Local heavy rainfall, especially associated with thunderstorms, can occur throughout the spring and lead to flooding even in areas where overall risk is considered low.

Drought

As of mid-March, more than a quarter of the country was experiencing drought, from Southern California into the Southwest, the northern and southern High Plains, and parts of the Southeast. 

Drought is likely to persist in most of these areas and potentially expand by late June. 

Drought improvement should occur in the northern Plains and lower Missouri Valley, where above-average precipitation is expected during a normally wet time of year.

Temperature, Precipitation

Through June, odds favor above-average temperatures for the southern two-thirds of the United States, extending from California across the central Plains and into the Northeast. 

The greatest likelihood of above-average temperatures extends from the Southwest across Texas and the Gulf Coast. 

The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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