Storms and Floods

Floods Shut Mississippi and Illinois River Locks - USA

Barge shipping was halted on Friday on parts of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers as flooding forced the closure of several locks until at least the middle of next week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. The closures come three months after near-record-low water along the Mississippi River near St. Louis threatened to halt commercial barge traffic.

Some 60 percent of U.S. grain export shipments are moved on barges on the Mississippi and its tributaries from production centers in the Midwest to export terminals at the Gulf of Mexico.

Torrential rains this week flooded broad swaths of Illinois and neighboring states, slowing farmer deliveries of grain to elevators and further delaying the start of corn planting in many areas. Crests on the swollen Mississippi and Illinois rivers were not expected to arrive until Sunday at the earliest in northern areas and several days later further south.

Other News:

Floods invade homes, cut off roads in western Finland.

More than 1,000 beehives across Queensland, Australia were destroyed during this season's floods and extreme weather events.

A tornado touched down Thursday afternoon in the community of Shelburne, about 100 kilometres northwest of Toronto, Canada.

Drought

USA Drought

Cargo Continues moving on the Mississippi River, but perhaps not for long - The Midwestern drought has brought the river, one of the world's largest navigable inland waterways, to water levels so low that they threaten to shut down shipping.

Nebraska - A Nebraska natural resources district may impose limits on irrigation in the wake of drought conditions and declining water levels. Kansas -

Dry conditions are causing significant drops in the water levels in Kansas lakes.

The drought in many respects is more severe than the droughts of the 1930s and 1950s.

Drought

Mississippi River barge traffic in the US is slowing as the worst drought in five decades combines with a seasonal dry period to push water levels to a near-record low, prompting shippers to seek alternatives. River vessels are cutting loads in an attempt to remain in business while they seek White House aid to keep the river open.