The Midwest’s waterways have been hit hard by an unusually rainy and snowy spring. Since March, the Mississippi River has maintained high water levels and crested at near-record levels on May 1. The flooding is also impacting construction operations along the river.
Many Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Missouri communities located along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers have all seen high water levels for the last two months. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announced the state had estimated $1.3 billion in damages after the March flooding there.