ROCHESTER, N.Y. – It is very sad to see the amount of flooding that the upper Midwest has experienced recently. This has been across portions of Kansas, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Iowa. There is a dam that has partially collapsed around the town of Mankato, Minn. because of the amount of water that has been coming downstream. Reports indicate that some 50 to 70 homes have been severely damaged as a result of that flooding.

The reason for this is the amount of rainfall this particular area has experienced over the last five days. Generally, they have measured five to seven inches, but there is a little bullseye of about 14 inches near Sioux Falls, S.D. And just to give you a point of reference, that is approximately 900 miles to the west of Rochester. The area is located between the Mississippi River and the Missouri River with an ongoing issue of moderate to major flooding along the major tributaries. Road closures and flooded fields are a big problem for the foreseeable future.

In general terms, there is always a greater risk of local flooding when some or all of the following ingredients are met. If you live in a flood zone and have had flooding at your location in the past this increases your likelihood of inundation. Rain intensity over a short amount of time can create problems. If your location has improper drainage such as a clogged drain that could certainly cause some kind of flooding. And lastly, if you have saturated ground due to recent and repeated rainfall the risk of flooding is signifyingly heightened.

Remember the old adage, if you are driving and you see flooding on the roadway, “Turn around, don’t drown.”