Incredible amounts of flooding through the Mississippi has forced levees to be blown up, crops to be damaged and people forced out of their home. But the worst is yet to come.
Pollution from farms accumulated at even higher rates this year due to floods will likely create the largest Dead Zone in the history of the earth.
To combat this, we need greater protection of wetlands. Wetlands act as a sponge, soaking up water and holding it there while supporting native species.
For more on the long-term damage, watch this report done by PBS.