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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 17 sepTember 2019

Third round of

flooding in 2019 likely

along Missouri River

By JOSH FUNK again be under water.
Associated Press At Omaha, this week's crest
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The is projected to be 30.5 feet
amount of water flowing (9.3 meters). In March the
down the lower Missouri river hit 34 feet (10.36 me-
River this year is approach- ters), and it registered 32
ing the record set during feet (9.75 meters) in the
the historic 2011 flood, and June flooding.
another round of flooding The Corps of Engineers
is expected this week af- doesn't expect major prob-
ter unusually heavy rains lems or threats to cities with
upstream, federal officials this week's latest flooding This Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 photo provided by the South Dakota Civil Air Patrol shows an aerial
said. — provided all the tempo- view of the flooding in Spencer, S.D.
Heavy rains dumped more rary repairs that have been Associated Press
than four times what is nor- made to levees since the
mal in parts of Montana, spring hold up. But com- relief at all this year." and inundated many of cause the Corps of Engi-
North and South Dakota munities along the river are In March, massive flooding the same places because neers plans to continue
and Nebraska last week — bracing for more problems caused more than $3 billion most damaged levees re- releasing large amounts of
triggering flood warnings in an exceptionally wet in damage in Nebraska, mained broken. water into the river to clear
and forcing the forecast for year. Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. The river will remain high out space in the reservoirs
how much water will flow Residents of Dakota Dunes, In June, flooding returned throughout the fall be- ahead of winter.q
down the Missouri River to South Dakota, have been
jump by 4 million acre feet encouraged to evacuate
(1.22 million meters) to 58.8 their homes as a precau-
million acre feet (17.92 mil- tion because the river is al-
lion meters). ready threatening that city.
That will be second only to The river will peak there on
2011's 61 million acre feet Tuesday.
(18.59 million meters), and it "When people call me
means the river has stayed and ask me what to do, I
high all year long. Previ- tell them, 'Hey I relocated
ously, the second highest my family,'" Dakota Dunes
runoff year was 1997 when Community Improvement
49 million acre feet (14.94 District Manager Jeff Dool-
million meters) of water ey told the Sioux City Jour-
flowed down the river and nal. "If you wait until you
caused major flooding. know for sure, it's too late."
"2019 continues to be a Downstream, residents of
very wet year throughout Hamburg, Iowa, will be
the basin," said John Remus keeping a close eye on
with the U.S. Army Corps of the repaired levees around
Engineers that operates the their town that was inun-
dams along the Missouri dated in the spring to be
River. sure the patches will hold
This week's third round of up. Completely repairing
flooding along the Missouri the levees damaged in the
River will likely be less se- spring is likely to take sev-
vere than the first two but eral years and cost more
still significant, said National than $1 billion.
Weather Service hydrolo- "Anybody I talk to I tell them
gist Dave Pearson. When to be prepared," said Mike
the river crests near Oma- Crecelius, the emergency
ha, Nebraska, on Friday manager in the southwest
and Saturday, parts of In- Iowa county that's home to
terstates 29 and 680 could Hamburg. "There's been no