AMES, Ia. — Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she wants Iowa farmers to be involved in creating solutions for climate change that would address ongoing flooding that's now affecting both sides of the state.

"I'm very worried about seeing the floods again," Warren told reporters after an organizing event Friday at Iowa State University. "Climate change is real, the problem is urgent and we are running out of time."

Thousands of Iowans are impacted by historic, ongoing flooding inundating homes, businesses and farmland. The Missouri River reached record highs in March, sending in floodwaters that lingered in some communities for more than a month and caused an estimated $1.6 billion in damages.

The Mississippi River broke through a temporary floodwall in Davenport this week, flooding a two- to three-block area of downtown businesses. The river reached its record high the following day and is expected to take nearly a month to recede, officials have said.

Warren, a senator from Massachusetts and a Democratic candidate for president, is a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal. She frequently addresses climate change while campaigning in Iowa and has said she would stop all drilling on public lands, as well as offshore, on her first day as president.

"It's a step in the right direction, but this is a moment that it's got to be all hands on deck, all ideas," she said. "We have got to push forward to protect ourselves."

After campaigning in the state twice during flooding, Warren proposes enlisting Iowa farmers to help bring ideas to the table that will address the issue.

"I believe that farms, particularly family farms, independent farms, here in Iowa can be a big part of the solution," Warren said. "We should be investing in helping those farms make sure that they are a part of cleaning up and improving our environment."

Farmers have been directly impacted by flooding this year. The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation in April estimated that Iowa farmers will struggle to plant as much as 145,000 acres along the Missouri River this year due to flooding.

Other Democratic presidential candidates have also taken note of the Iowa flooding. Several, including Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, have visited flooded areas. On Friday, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke used his campaign email list to raise money for the Quad Cities Community Foundation's disaster recovery fund.