Two deaths linked to Midwest flooding as severe thunderstorms approach

Residents of the Northern Mississippi Valley were under an enhanced risk of thunderstorms and high winds throughout Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. Large hail and tornadoes were possible, NWS added on social media. Areas of the northern Midwest were doused over the weekend, with some areas flooding. Over a dozen rivers flooded in northwestern Iowa and the entire town of Rodney was evacuated, local officials said. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster emergency proclamation on Monday. President Joe Biden also approved a disaster declaration requested by Reynolds. Two people have died in the floods, officials added.

Isn’t there a heatwave in the Midwest and Great Plains? A hot weather system will continue moving through the Great Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley and into northern Florida, according to the NWS. Areas of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Southern Georgia are at an extreme heat risk, with some areas at risk of a triple-digit heat index, the NWS added.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report from 2022 on floods forcing evacuations in Yellowstone.