The National Weather Service spring flooding outlook is predicting river levels consistent with last year, and while the next thirty days look to be drier, it’s still too early to know what the spring may bring.
In 2019 Illinois accumulated ?more than $69 million in flood damage affecting ?more than two dozen counties.
More than 1,000 miles of Illinois roads and bridges were impacted by flood waters.
Service Hydrologist Mary Lamm with the National Weather Service in Paducah says heavy rain through the end of 2019 are setting up conditions similar to last year.
“As we head into 2020, every round of heavy rain that we get you know we’re going to see some minor to even moderate flooding.”
Warmer temperatures during the winter months leave more water in the atmosphere leading to an increase in rainfall.
“Our ground is still very wet and it’s not going to take much with each heavy rain event that we do get to cause some flooding.”
Lamm says when northern temperatures start to rise that also increases the potential for flooding.
“We do start looking at snow melt upstream coming down from either the Ohio Valley or down the Mississippi.”
The National Weather Service wants to remind everyone when you come to a flooded road t to turn around, don’t drown and find a different way.
