What’s causing the devastating flooding in the Midwest?

ST. LOUIS — Hundreds of Iowa residents have needed rescue from record-setting flooding that has swamped parts of the state, covering buildings up to their rooftops, shutting down major roads, and disrupting basic services like electricity and drinking water. Hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities were evacuated,” Reynolds said at a news conference over the weekend, calling the expected damage “staggering.” It’s hot, too, making dangerous conditions worse. “With that big high-pressure system over the East, that kind of helps steer these and slow these systems down specifically to where we’ve seen the flooding over the past few days,” he said. It will “bump up” Missouri River levels, but not as much as anticipated, she said at a news conference Monday. Since all that water eventually drains into the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, Zogg said, flooding is expected in those big rivers, as well.