In areas of the Mississippi River last fall that hadn’t experienced critically low water in years, dryness caused around 40 days of low water, which grounded barges, slowed commerce, blocked river ports during the height of harvest season, and resulted in an estimated $20 billion in damages, according to AccuWeather.
Whether the river will recede as low as it did last year is still unknown. However, since June, the Mississippi’s water levels have been dropping. The Ohio River, which is the Mississippi River’s largest tributary and meets it at Cairo, Illinois, decreased by over 10 feet in the final two weeks of August.
In the upcoming weeks, levels are expected to decrease even more. As of late August, 61% of the Midwest was classed as unusually dry or in drought.
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