TODAY’S TALKER

Third of U.S. risks spring flooding, say federal forecasters

A third of the United States is at risk of flooding this spring, including 23 states and 128 million Americans. That’s according to the spring flood outlook released by the National Weather Service on Thursday.

The forecast for significant spring flooding comes a year after one of the worst seasons on record in 2019. But this year, the flooding isn’texpected to be quite as severe.

The Northern Plains and Upper Midwest are forecast to be most at risk, but flooding concerns stretch along the entire Mississippi River. As spring rains increase and snowmelt to the north surges into river basins,a number of rivers and streams may overflow their banks and inundate nearby land.

Particularly vulnerable this season is the Deep South, where many cities have already had close to 30 inches of rain since the start of the year and soils are saturated. The National Weather Service is forecasting moderate flooding over larger areas of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration emphasized that, while an above-average spring flood season is anticipated for many this year, flooding is unlikely to be as widespread or severe as it was a year ago.

“Last year we experienced widespread historic flooding across much of the U.S.,” Mary Erickson, deputy director of the National Weather Service, said in a call with reporters Thursday. “Nearly 165 million people were impacted. And flooding continues to be a factor for many Americans this spring.”