Floods in Iowa affect all of us

[oregonpackfan]

It is certainly tragic to read of the thousands of people in Iowa who have lost their homes to flooding. There is a tendency for those who live far away from the Midwest to think something to the effect of "That is indeed sad. At least it does not affect me."

The floods there will be affecting all of us, especially with the corn crops that have been ruined or not even planted yet. Insufficient corn supplies will drive up the cost of foods processed from corn. Because there will less field corn to feed animals, the price of meat will go up. Because America is using more corn to process ethanol, the cost of our ethanol-enhanced fuel will increase.

Here is an excellent article about the effects of the midwest floods on the rest of the country:

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/121341210798680.xml&coll=7&thispage=1

[digitaldean]

Excellent points, OPF.

Not to mention this will have an effect on barge traffic on the Mississippi River. It has been shut down periodically because of the flooding.

[]{ilr]3]

I live in NW Iowa and even though the weather has been crummy, right now all the crops look as good as they have in any year at this time. There is always flooding. Most the flooding is effecting people, not crops. As much as is underwater, 75% is still growing and growing well with the rain and heat units currently available and have been since planting.

Every year there are reports and scares of something that will cause the crops to fail. As bad as this is, the crops are not in much danger at this point. There is still time to get a crop in that produces even this late in the year. Drought is far worse than flood because its effects are more wide spread. But with todays hybrids they can tollerate a drought like never before.

[GrnBay007]

{ilr]3]I live in NW Iowa and even though the weather has been crummy, right now all the crops look as good as they have in any year at this time.

Is the NW getting hit with all the storms the Eastern part of the state is? I traveled to Waterloo late last week and I couldn't believe how the fields looked. I will be shocked if they get much, if anything from those fields.

It's good to hear things don't look so bad where you are.

[]{ilr]3]

{ilr]3]I live in NW Iowa and even though the weather has been crummy, right now all the crops look as good as they have in any year at this time.

Is the NW getting hit with all the storms the Eastern part of the state is? I traveled to Waterloo late last week and I couldn't believe how the fields looked. I will be shocked if they get much, if anything from those fields.

It's good to hear things don't look so bad where you are.

They are not bad at all in NW Iowa. Thats what I am trying to say. The floods over there are terrible, but those floods are not going to impact the overall corn crop this year much.