Rivers will continue to rise and more storms could hit the Midwest on Tuesday, as well as dangerously high temperatures, as the region deals with severe flood damage and widespread disruption.
About 31 million people are at risk of severe weather Tuesday evening, with as much as two inches of rain per hour in parts of Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota.
Potential storms could bring hail larger than two inches, winds of more than 60 miles per hour and a few tornadoes Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service warned.
At least two people are known to have died due to flooding.
The flooding has set records at several points along the Des Moines River basin: The surge at Estherville, Iowa, reached 17.14 feet as of 3:20 p.m. Monday and was expected to rise further, according to the agency.
So far, nearly 3 million people have been affected in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, where President Joe Biden declared a major disaster Tuesday morning and pledged federal aid to support state, local and tribal recovery efforts.
The aid would go to “areas affected by severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes, beginning on June 16, 2024 and continuing,” according to a White House statement.
Affected residents can apply at DisasterAssistance.gov.
There is a marginal to small risk of more excessive rainfall causing more flash flooding starting Tuesday, with a slight risk warning for the mid-Mississippi Valley.
The Sioux City Railroad Museum in Iowa posted photos on Facebook of underwater exhibits. Aerial photos taken by a drone showed that McCook Lake, west of Sioux City, had overflowed its banks and surrounding streets had turned into rivers.
A dam in Minnesota was damaged on Monday and local officials said it was at risk of collapse, but no steps were taken to evacuate locals.
Extreme heat will only add to local problems, with temperatures in the upper 90s, possibly over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some places, expected across the Central Plains and Mississippi Valley and spreading into much of the Lower 48 states.
Heat warnings and advisories about the potentially dangerous conditions are in effect from southern Iowa and Nebraska to Texas and the South.
Las Vegas will have its warmest June on record this month, with temperatures 11 degrees higher than normal. An extreme heat warning is also in effect for the desert areas of Los Angeles County.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
