The governors of Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota have all issued emergency declarations as heavy rains that began late last week flooded several rivers in the Upper Midwest. A large number of counties in southeastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, and northwest Iowa saw rainfall amounts from Thursday through Saturday between five to eight inches. The National Weather Service says there are spots in the region that received as much as 15 inches. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds requested an expedited presidential disaster declaration. “We’re still in a very early response stage, but the projected damage is staggering,” Reynolds said. Two major railroads in the region were seeing bridge closures and track damage in the Iowa-Minnesota-South Dakota region. BNSF lost a bridge over the Big Sioux River between Iowa and South Dakota. It’s too early to determine crop damage, but most Missouri River bottom fields were already in standing water before the past deluge.
State disasters declared due to flooding
