ST. LOUIS — Hundreds of Iowa residents have needed rescue from record-setting flooding that has swamped parts of the state, covering buildings up to their rooftops, shutting down major roads, and disrupting basic services like electricity and drinking water.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said water in some areas rose above records from 1993, a flood many in the Midwest remember as the worst of their lives. Floodwaters were so powerful they pulled down a train bridge connecting North Sioux City, South Dakota, with Sioux City, Iowa.

The water is expected to be at its highest early this week — in some places it has already passed — and then the crest of the river will move south, eventually into the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

“Businesses are shuttered, main streets have been impacted. Hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities were evacuated,” Reynolds said at a news conference over the weekend, calling the expected damage “staggering.”

It’s hot, too, making dangerous conditions worse.

Here’s a look at why waters are so high in the Midwest:

What is causing the bad flooding?

Torrential rains. In a three-day stretch, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, received about 7 inches of rain. In Canton, South Dakota, roughly 30 miles to the southeast, 18 inches of rain fell. In Iowa, some areas since Friday got as much as 15 inches of rain.

“It has been just round after round through the month. And then recently, we’ve had a few big rounds,” said Joseph Bauers, a meteorologist with AccuWeather.

Hot air in the Northeast has directed the path of storms through the Midwest, according to Shel Winkley, a weather and climate expert with Climate Central, a nonprofit focused on climate science.

“With that big high-pressure system over the East, that kind of helps steer these and slow these systems down specifically to where we’ve seen the flooding over the past few days,” he said.

And the most recent rounds of heavy rain have fallen on wet ground. When soil is wet, it can’t absorb as much new moisture, so more of the rain runs into rivers and streams.

Flooding is a big change for a part of the country that has endured drought in recent years. Rain started to hit the region in late April and early May, according to National Weather Service hydrologist Jeff Zogg.

Then the really heavy storms came Friday and Saturday.

“There were some cases where rainfall was falling at a rate of over 1 inch in 15 minutes, for example,” Zogg said. “And that’s because there’s just so much moisture in the atmosphere that there is a lot of moisture for the thunderstorms to wring out.”

What is a crest and why do they matter?

A crest is the highest level a river reaches before receding, and they are tracked closely by forecasters. It’s essential to know when a crest is expected to hit, how bad it will be and how fast it is traveling down river.
Because recent rains dumped extraordinary amounts of water on the region, rivers rose quickly, and crests are expected soon or have already occurred in some places.

Sioux City Fire Marshal Mark Aesoph told reporters that the Big Sioux River stabilized Monday morning at around 45 feet, over 7 feet higher than the previous record.

“It’s just been difficult to predict what’s going to happen when levels are this high when we have no history with it,” he said.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said other rivers, the James and Vermillion, are expected to crest Wednesday. The flooding is “more spread out” than expected, which is helping lessen flooding in some inhabited areas. It will “bump up” Missouri River levels, but not as much as anticipated, she said at a news conference Monday.

“The later and the lower crest levels gave us some time that we need to upgrade some levees that we needed to get done,” Noem said.

While the heaviest rain has been concentrated in northwestern Iowa, parts of northeastern Iowa will see up to an inch on Monday, said Zogg. The rainfall across northern Iowa will take “several days” to make its way through the state. He said the location of the rain was particularly bad for Iowa because it has to drain through the state’s entire river system before exiting.

Since all that water eventually drains into the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, Zogg said, flooding is expected in those big rivers, as well.

And there is the possibility for more rain later this week.

“When it comes to the rainfall and river response, location and timing and the amount” will determine how the river responds and whether floods will get worse, he said.

Is this related to climate change?

In the Midwest, flooding isn’t new. Nor is heavy rain in June. And linking any particular big rainstorm to climate change is difficult, Winkley said.

But, as greenhouse gases warm the planet, the hotter atmosphere can hold more water. That means big rainstorms can pour down even more water, overwhelming sewer systems and flooding downtowns. Plus, bad floods are growing more common, he said.

“The extremes are becoming more extreme,” said Winkley.
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Associated Press reporters Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, and Margery A. Beck in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.
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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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The late, great soccer reporter Grant Wahl used to compile power rankings based on MLS clubs’ desires to achieve more.

That ambition was measured in a few ways, but spending was a big component of it. When Minnesota United opened up Allianz Field — which took $250 million in private financing —  the club jumped from 15th to 10th in Wahl’s 2019 list in Sports Illustrated.

Spending on players was another main facet Wahl measured. Since joining MLS in 2017, the Loons have never been (nor likely will be) a club that writes big checks on incoming transfers. Its club-record transfer fee ($5 million for Emanuel Reynoso in 2020) was exceeded by five other clubs on one player apiece just this spring in the primary transfer window.

New Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad has taken a tightly measured approach since joining the club full time in late January. He and MNUFC’s technical staff brought in eight total players before the season started; none have moved the needle on the field.

Those eight players average only 126 minutes played this season; the Loons have logged 1,710 total this season. Those eight players’ average guaranteed compensation is $120,281, while the league average is $594,390.

El-Ahmad’s biggest moves thus far have been transferring out two players.

When malcontent Reynoso went AWOL again this spring, El-Ahmad showed star treatment is a thing of the past. He quickly offloaded the two-time MLS All-Star to Club Tijuana for upwards of $1 million, if performance metrics are met.

Then last week, El-Ahmad and the Loons were nearing a transfer of versatile midfielder/defender Kervin Arriaga to Serbian club Partizan for approximately $500,000, a source confirmed to the Pioneer Press.

Set to become a free agent after the season, Arriaga was not signed to a contract extension through the first six months of the year. He told the Pioneer Press in May it was “a dream” to play in Europe, so his interest in remaining in Minnesota might not have been strong anyway.

Arriaga, now 26, has built himself into a quality player in Minnesota, first as a central midfielder in 2022. But a meniscus knee injury cut short his 2023 season and that nagging joint delayed the start of his 2024 campaign.

Arriaga received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his knee in March, and when he returned in April, head coach Eric Ramsay put Arriaga on a three-man back line. He thrived in that new role, and his upswing makes it more difficult for the Loons and their supporters to say goodbye now.

Arriaga was in a swan song on Saturday in St. Paul. He brought out his newborn baby boy for pregame introductions and was teary-eyed postgame when showing thanks to supporters after the Loons’ 1-0 loss to Austin FC.

Arriaga was not a ballyhooed or high-priced signing — MNUFC acquired his discovery rights from Austin for $100,000 in 2022. His 2024 salary is a relative bargain at $259,667, according to the MLS Players Association.

It shows key players can be brought in from countless places (in Arriaga’s case: CD Marathon in Honduras), and they can develop and thrive in MLS. Creativity is a part of ambition, and El-Ahmad will need to unearth those kinds of players as he builds out a full roster going forward.

But one problem in the short term is the most likely next man up at center back is Victor Eriksson, a Swede whom El-Ahmad brought in during the offseason. He is the highest paid of the eight additions at $264,375, per MLSPA.

Eriksson’s rough start to his MLS career continued Wednesday when his bad clearance attempt led to a goal in the 5-3 loss to Dallas. Eriksson has even been linked to a return to Sweden this week.

The summer transfer window opens July 18 and the Loons are in need of difference-makers across the roster. Their current three-game losing streak has exposed depth issues with injuries and international duties.

MNUFC has made one addition for the summer, attacking midfielder Samuel Shashoua. He comes with an injury history and on another team-friendly deal.

If Wahl, who passed away while covering the 2022 World Cup, were still doing his ambition rankings, he would not be bumping up the Loons’ standing based on El-Ahmad’s additions so far.

Gov. Tim Walz said the state has seen “unprecedented” flooding in recent weeks as parts of Minnesota have seen upwards of 18 inches of rain in recent days with more precipitation on the way.

“This event is still ongoing,” Walz said, emphasizing people to not enter the likely contaminated water and to obey traffic barriers.

Charleigh Talbot, left, and Braelynn Kean run through flood water at the Pine Island High School Baseball Field on Saturday, June 22, 2024 in Pine Island, Minn. (Lily Dozier / Post Bulletin)

Walz said thus far there haven’t been any serious or deaths as a result of this “very widespread event.”

Over the last few weeks, about 40 Minnesota counties — or nearly half the state — have been impacted by flooding. Seven counties have applied for emergency assistance, Walz said.

In areas that don’t receive federal disaster declaration funding, Walz said the state currently has $26.64 million for emergency relief. When a county applies, Walz said they assess the issue and provide funding to the county in need. This funding will replenish to $50 million in September.

“You never know what you’re going to get with Minnesota weather,” Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said during the Monday conference, adding that last year the state was dealing with drought and wildfires.

Flooding has been particularly severe in southern Minnesota since the end of last week.

On Saturday, Walz declared a peacetime emergency, authorizing the Minnesota National Guard to be available to provide support for emergency flood operations.

Floodwaters from the Little Fork River obscure a portion of a street sign Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Cook, Minn. (Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group)

“Across the state, intense rain has had catastrophic effects. Flooding has left entire communities under feet of water, causing severe damage to property and numerous road closures. As flooding continues, the National Guard is ready to step up to help our neighbors,” Walz said in the declaration announcement.“Their response will provide invaluable support that will be critical in ensuring the safety of Minnesotans during this difficult time.”

In Le Sueur County, the city of Waterville and the surrounding area received around 14-18 inches of water, causing evacuations and “significant damage,” the announcement said.

Minnesota National Guard Maj. General Shawn Manke said as of Monday the National Guard will have 46 soldiers supporting Waterville and “provide critical support manning pump stations to alleviate the flooded waters in the region.”

“We are ready to work hand in hand with local incident commanders in the state of Minnesota to try and improve the situation,” he said, adding the Guard will continue to monitor the situation.

On Friday, Walz traveled to northeast Minnesota to survey damage caused by severe flooding in Cook and Biwabik.

The governor’s office said floodwaters measured in “several feet, impacting residences and businesses” in downtown Cook. Dozens of roads were closed throughout the county. The Duluth News Tribune reported on Sunday that water had receded in Cook by Sunday afternoon.

According to the DNT, St. Louis County officials recorded more than 1,000 damage incidents since June 18.

“This is the second-largest natural disaster that St. Louis County has seen in three decades,” the governor’s office said in the news release.

Daniel Hawblitzel, the meteorologist in charge for the National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen, said during Monday’s press conference that the state has seen record flood levels that may get worse.

Workers with the Minnesota Department of Transportation move barricades into place as they close the Stillwater Lift Bridge as the rain-swollen St. Croix River slowly overflows its banks in downtown Stillwater, Friday, June 21, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Many rivers are expected to crest later this week — and that’s without more rainfall, Hawblitzel said. According to Hawblitzel, there are storms predicted to hit some areas across the state on Monday.

“The ground is saturated,” Hawblitzel said. “(The rain) has nowhere to go. So whatever falls, as little as it may be, will only make things worse.”

As a result of the heat dome over the East Coast, Hawblitzel said there are signs this weather pattern may continue over the next few weeks.

In the event of a flash flood, Kristi Rollwagen, director of Homeland Security Emergency Management, encourages Minnesotans to abide by traffic barriers.

“We want you to turn around,” she said. “We don’t want you to drown, and we don’t want you to become part of an unfortunate event.”

As water levels rise over the next few days, Walz said resources will continue to be deployed. Sandbagging will be used as a preventative measure for certain southern regions.

“As we see these chaotic climate events due to climate change increase, we need to think about how we’re building back more resiliently,” Walz said.

Rapidan Dam

On Monday, the Rapidan Dam on the Blue Earth River in southern Minnesota  — about seven miles south of Mankato — was described as in “imminent failure condition,” according to the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office.

This comes after debris was spotted accumulating at the dam on Sunday, officials said.

“Anyone that is in immediate danger in regards to the Rapidan Dam have (sic) been notified,” the sheriff’s office reported in an update posted to social media late Monday morning. “The Dam is currently intact and there is not an evacuation order in place for Blue Earth County residents. The situation is being monitored closely by BEC Public Works, Emeergency Managment, and the Sheriff’s Office.”

However, a short time later, WCCO News reported that the dam had failed and nearby residents were urged to evacuate.

A flash flood warning that includes Blue Earth County is in effect until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, according to the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service.

There is a threat for severe weather, including damaging winds, on Monday evening across central and southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, and into western Wisconsin.

The Pioneer Press contributed to this report.

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