DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) -- Rivers are rising across Iowa as snow melts and rains are forecast in the state.
National Weather Service flood warnings were in effect Wednesday for portions of Iowa. On Tuesday, 17 river gauges statewide showed record-high stream flow for the calendar date. U.S. Geological Survey river gauges found 48 stream flows to be above normal.
The Skunk River in Augusta in southeastern Iowa was above flood stage. The National Weather Service said this week that the flooding risks stem from a combination of melting snow statewide and forecast rains.
Bill Cappuccio is with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and is the state coordinator for the National Flood Insurance Program. Cappuccio says worry comes from large amounts of rain on top of a saturated watershed.
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