# Midwestern Flooding Slows Harvest, Halts Barge Activity - The Waterways Journal

> Heavy September and October rains soaked Midwest crops and swelled rivers, slowing the harvest and halting barge traffic on parts of the Upper Mississippi. NOAA data showed September precipitation well above normal across the continental US, and a crane barge struck the Hannibal railroad bridge on October 4.

- Date: 2018-10-12 · published 2018-10-12T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: weather · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/62722-midwestern-flooding-slows-harvest-halts-barge-activity-the-waterways-journal
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Wet weather delays harvest and river transport at the same time, which supports corn and soybean futures and raises barge freight costs. Buyers should expect firmer grain prices and higher logistics costs until rivers reopen.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bullish ▲
- CORN: bullish ▲
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2025-12-12 | [Early Freeze Puts Strain On River Ops - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16405-early-freeze-puts-strain-on-river-ops-the-waterways-journal.md) | +1.0% | -2.9% |
| CORN | 2023-02-27 | [Delays in the corn harvest in Brazil worry agents](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13666-delays-in-the-corn-harvest-in-brazil-worry-agents.md) | -1.3% | -1.8% |
| CORN | 2022-06-30 | [U.S. Midwest forecast spells bad news for corn, soybeans \| The Western Producer](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13357-u-s-midwest-forecast-spells-bad-news-for-corn-soybeans-the-western-producer.md) | +1.0% | -16.7% |
| CORN | 2023-08-30 | [Texas summer drought affecting corn, sorghum crops \| Western Livestock Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34157-texas-summer-drought-affecting-corn-sorghum-crops-western-livestock-journal.md) | -0.0% | -8.2% |
| CORN | 2021-10-22 | [Expect higher feed prices this winter \| Western Livestock Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/44689-expect-higher-feed-prices-this-winter-western-livestock-journal.md) | +3.5% | +10.0% |
| SOY | 2025-12-12 | [Early Freeze Puts Strain On River Ops - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16405-early-freeze-puts-strain-on-river-ops-the-waterways-journal.md) | -3.8% | -5.5% |
| SOY | 2017-04-12 | [Flooding In Argentina May Delay Soy Crop Harvesting \| Investing.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/71348-flooding-in-argentina-may-delay-soy-crop-harvesting-investing-com.md) | +1.2% | +2.4% |
| SOY | 2022-06-30 | [U.S. Midwest forecast spells bad news for corn, soybeans \| The Western Producer](https://feedsoft.ai/events/13357-u-s-midwest-forecast-spells-bad-news-for-corn-soybeans-the-western-producer.md) | -5.0% | -3.9% |

## Sources

- waterwaysjournal.net: https://www.waterwaysjournal.net/2018/10/12/midwestern-flooding-slows-harvest-halts-barge-activity/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.