Assessing the Midwest Flood
Gary L. Benjamin, Rick Mattoon, William Testa
Throughout the Midwest, heavy rains this spring and summer caused the worst flooding on record in many parts of the region. This natural disaster killed 48 people and forced 74,000 from their homes. It also disrupted commercial activity all along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and adjacent areas and destroyed thousands of acres of crops. While the waters have now receded, the ground is so saturated that heavy winter snow and spring rains could produce additional flooding well into next year.
