ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Have you seen some of the incredible pictures coming out of the middle of the country? By some estimates, this is the worst flooding due to heavy rain in over 30 years. Over a span of just four or five days, the National Weather Service issued more than 700 flood and flash flood warnings.

The torrential rain battered states across the Mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys. In the most extreme areas, 15 to 20 inches of rain fell in just a few days—about what Rochester typically gets in four to five months!Several major tributaries were directly impacted, including the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, and Arkansas Rivers. All that water flows downstream, causing widespread moderate to major flooding, road closures, and waterlogged fields. In many places, water levels will remain high for weeks, prolonging the clean-up to homes, farms, and infrastructure.

To put the scale in perspective, at Louisville, Kentucky, the Ohio River rose from 18 feet to nearly 70 feet in just a week. That is an incredible rise over a short period time and a reminder of the power of water. Flooding of this magnitude often starts with geography. Low-lying areas or flood zones are naturally more vulnerable, and once the ground becomes saturated, even moderate rainfall can become a major problem. Add in days of relentless rain, poor drainage, and overwhelmed rivers and creeks, and you have a recipe for disaster. Simply

Unfortunately, the recovery process will be long and difficult for many of the affected communities. Flood damage doesn’t disappear overnight—it takes time, effort, and a lot of resources to rebuild.

Let’s hope for drier skies ahead and that the rest of spring brings some relief to our neighbors in the heartland.