National Weather Service Releases Spring Flood Outlook for 2020

What Iowa and Nebraska can expect and how Emergency Management is preparing.

OF IOWA ANDNEBRASKA SAWRECORD-BREAKINGFLOODING.NOW THE NATIONALWEATHER SERVICEHAS RELEASEDTHEIR OUTLOOKFOR SPRINGFLOODING IN 2020.REPORTER RUTAULCINAITE HASMORE ON EXACTLYWHAT THE TWOSTATES CANEXPECT AND HOWEMERGENCYMANAGEMENT ISPREPARING TOMAKE SURE THEYCAN HANDLE ALLTHE RECENTDISASTERS,INCLUDING COVID-19.THE 2020 SPRINGFLOOD OUTLOOKFROM THENATIONALWEATHER SERVICEIS OUT...AND WHILE THEFORECAST PUTSMANY STATES ATMODERATE TOMAJOR RISK, ITLOOKS LIKE MOSTOF NEBRASKA ANDIOWA ARE ONLY ATMINOR RISK THISYEAR."COMPARINGYEARS, WE'RENOWHERE NEARTHE CONDITIONSOF LAST YEAR.WE DON'T HAVESNOW ON THEGROUND, THEGROUND'S NOTFROZEN." "OURSNOW TOTAL THISYEAR, ONLY 17INCHES.IN COMPARISON TOLAST YEAR, AT THISTIME WE WERE AT52.7.SO WE'RE TALKINGALMOST FOURTIMES HIGHERTHAN WHERE WEARE." AND WHILETHIS NEW DATA ISPROMISING, WESTILL CAN'TCOMPLETELY RULEOUT THE MINORFLOODING WE MAYSEE IN THE SPRINGSEASON."THEY KEY THINGTHAT WE STILLHAVE TO KEEP INTOCONSIDERATION ISTHE FACT, THEGROUND'S STILLSATURATED.ALL THATMOISTURE THATWE ENDED UP WITHFROM LAST YEAR,DIDN'T REALLY GOANYWHERE.SO THE GROUNDMOISTURECONTENT IS STILLPRETTY DEEP ANDSTILL PRETTYMOIST." LAST YEAR,DODGE COUNTY,SPECIFICALLYFREMONT,ENDUREDDEVASTATINGFLOODS.THAT'S WHY DODGECOUNTYEMERGENCYMANAGEMENT ISSTILL HARD ATWORK."WE'RE STILLWORKING WITHFEMA.WE STILL HAVE ALOT OF PROJECTS,PERMANENTREPAIR PROJECTSTHAT WE'REWORKING ON."NOW THEY'RE JUSTHOPING THESEPREDICTIONS ARECORRECT, SO THEYDON'T HAVE TODEAL WITH BOTHFLOODING AND THECORONAVIRUS."THE PANDEMICITSELF FOR ONE ISUNCHARTEDTERRITORY FORALL OF US SOHAVING TWOWOULD BE A REALCHALLENGE."REPORTING INFREMONT, RUTAULCINAITE, 3NN.FOR MOREINFORMATION ONFLOODINGOUTLOOKS AND TOSEE OUR FULLFLOODINGCOVERAGE, VISIT3-NEWS-NOW-DOT-COM.STI