The Great flood of 1993 : the Minnesota experience.

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In terms of widespread misery and amount of damage sustained in nine midwestern states, the Great Flood of 1993 will be remembered as one of the nation's worst disasters. The National Weather Service reported that the five factors that contribute to flooding were present in the spring of 1993. Fall soil moisture was high, frozen soils were present, a snow cover containing two to four inches of water equivalent existed in late March, a rapid melt occurred, and precipitation was above normal during the runoff period in April. The toll was heavy across the region, with 48 deaths and some 70,000 people left homeless in the 421 counties declared federal disaster areas. Farmers suffered greatly with 20 million acres either inundated or too soggy to produce yields and $8 billion in damage to crops. Although the exact amount may never be known, the total damage from the Great Flood of 1993 could rival the $21 billion of Hurricane Andrew, the nation's costliest disaster