The upper US Midwest is facing a crisis as more than a million people are under flood warnings after days of heavy rain. The states of Iowa and South Dakota have been hit the hardest, with some rivers reaching record-high levels. Tragically, at least one person has died in the floods in South Dakota.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has declared a state of disaster in 21 counties, calling the floods “catastrophic.” Drone footage shows homes and buildings almost completely submerged, with only rooftops visible. In the town of Spencer, Iowa, the water-level gauge was completely underwater, indicating the severity of the situation.
Hundreds of homes have been damaged in Spencer, and the city’s sewage plant was also deluged. Other states under flood warnings include Nebraska, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued warnings, with some expected to end late on Sunday while others are in effect until further notice.
In South Dakota, Governor Kristi Noem has declared a state of emergency, warning that the worst of the flooding is yet to come. Around 4,000 residents in Rock Valley, Iowa, were forced to evacuate after the Rock River rose to record levels. Residents in the region are without clean running water as floodwater has contaminated wells.
The flooding has also impacted Wisconsin, where severe weather destroyed a historic church in the village of Argyle. The Apple Grove Lutheran Church, founded in 1893, was flattened by a tornado on Saturday evening.
These devastating floods come amidst a week-long heatwave affecting parts of the US, with more than 100 million people under heat advisory alerts. Record-high temperatures are expected in several regions, with some areas forecasted to reach nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The NWS warns that this heatwave could be the longest experienced in decades for some locations.
Scientists attribute these extreme weather events to human-caused climate change, emphasizing the need for urgent action to mitigate its effects. Heatwaves have become more frequent and intense globally since 1950, according to the UN’s climate body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
