The 2014 runoff forecast in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, has increased to 30.6 million acre feet (MAF), 121 percent of normal. Runoff of this magnitude is expected to occur on average once every four years. The average annual runoff is 25.2 million acre feet.
The Corps of Engineers held a conference call to update reservoir and river conditions. Many questions focused on the record run off and flooding of spring and summer of 2011.
Jody Farhat, Chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Division in Omaha, said while mountain snowpack is above average, they don’t see a repeat of the 2011 conditions……….
Farhat says they believe they have better communication and coordination capabilities now than in 2011………
Dr. Dennis Todey, South Dakota state climatologist, who works with the Corps on forecasting, said the heavy rains over Montana that kicked off the 2011 flooding was very unusual……….
Farhat says the only areas that may see some minor flooding were downstream areas in Kansas and Missouri.
