In 2019 — the 2nd wettest year ever in the U.S. — flooding cost Illinois and the Midwest $6.2 billion. Scientists predict more waterlogged days ahead.

Flooding on the Mississippi River and its tributaries throughout Illinois and the Midwest caused an estimated $6.2 billion in damage in 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday. The floods, which overwhelmed towns, farms, roads, bridges, levees and dams, contributed to...