Historic U.S. flooding to continue into May

Portions of the United States – especially in the upper Mississippi and Missouri River basins including Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa – have already experienced record flooding this year.

Historic flooding across the U.S. Midwestis expected to continue into May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced.

NOAA says the outlook calls for nearly two-thirds of the lower 48 states face an elevated risk of flooding through May, with the potential for major to moderate flooding in 25 states across the Great Plains, Midwest and down through the Mississippi River Valley.

The warning comes amid record flooding triggered by a sudden warm-up and heavy rain earlier this month.

“The extensive flooding we’ve seen in the past two weeks will continue through May and become more dire and may be exacerbated in the coming weeks as the water flows downstream,” said Ed Clark, director of NOAA’s National Water Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in a statement.

“This is shaping up to be a potentially unprecedented flood season, with more than 200 million people at risk for flooding in their communities.”

The full report can be read on the NOAA website.

VIDEO: HISTORIC NEBRASKA FLOODING