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Threat of flooding in northwest Missouri adds to bad year for farmers

Missouri River
Posted at 4:36 PM, Mar 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-05 14:16:47-04

RAY COUNTY, Mo. — Farmers in northwest Missouri have their eyes on the Missouri River ahead of the threat of possible flooding.

"There is going to be a mad scramble as soon as the ground is dry,” farmer Robert Williams said. "Water just has nowhere to go. The ground is completely saturated."

For Missouri farmers, the entire year has felt like a game of dominoes. First, a one-two punch came in the form of drought and tariffs. Now, they're looking at a risk of flooding.

"Where I live at, we have roughly three days to get out before the floodwaters come," Williams said.

Snow and rain to the north of Kansas City have caused major flooding, and that water is now making its way here.

"It is kind of a perfect storm, just taking the bad and making it worse,” said Tom Waters, chairman of the Missouri Levee and Drainage District Association.

The flooding risk may be greatest in the rural areas of the Kansas City metro, but it has the potential to impact everyone.

"The Midwest in general, there is a lot of food produced here," Waters said. "If we get a big flood, which we could potentially could, then a lot of crop is not planted...that effects the whole economy."