A Watershed Year: Anatomy of Iowa Floods of 2008

摘要

In less than twenty years, Iowa suffered two major floods. While the 1993 flood was larger in scope, impacting the Upper and Lower Mississippi River Valley, the 2008 flood devastated more Iowa cities, farmland, and infrastructure. Despite having repeated floods, neither the public nor the infrastructure was prepared for the 2008 flood, which caused an estimated $3 billion of damage. A Watershed Year's explanation of flood science is particularly strong, including how floods are forecasted and what conditions preceded flooding. In Iowa, 90 percent of all floods occur from March through August.