According to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, heavy rainfall has resulted in severe flooding in northwest Iowa, affecting 1,900 properties with hundreds being destroyed. This has caused significant damage to the area and its residents.
Reynolds revealed during a media briefing that on Saturday there were 250 water rescues, and more than 1,000 residents had to be sheltered overnight.
Severe flooding has been caused by up to 15 inches of rain in certain areas since Friday.
According to Reynolds, the floods in 1993 caused rivers to crest several feet above their record levels. Additionally, 16 flood gauges registered historic levels during this time.
According to the Department of Natural Resources, the flooding has impacted 10 water systems and 21 wastewater systems as of Saturday night.
On Sunday, Reynolds personally witnessed the extensive and severe damage caused by the disaster during his aerial tour of the affected region.
Over the weekend, Reynolds declared an initial disaster emergency proclamation for Sioux County and directed the Iowa National Guard to prepare a helicopter for rescue missions. She also deployed Homeland’s Urban Search and Rescue teams for water rescues.
On Sunday, Reynolds made a formal plea for an accelerated Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, seeking further federal aid for nine counties, along with public assistance for 22 counties.
According to John Benson, the Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management appointed by the governor, the team is putting in continuous efforts to tackle the ongoing situation. The weather forecast indicates that there will be more rainfall in the upcoming week, and the river gauges in the Missouri River are rapidly increasing, as stated by Benson. It is clear that the situation is far from being resolved.
According to Reynolds, the heavy rainfall may persist and lead to prolonged flooding in various areas of the state. This could potentially affect other regions as well. Reynolds made this statement on Sunday night.
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for several regions including northwest Iowa, west central Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, central South Dakota, east central South Dakota, south-central South Dakota, and southeast South Dakota.
According to the NWS, streams, creeks, and rivers are currently experiencing “moderate to major flood stage,” which has resulted in ongoing road closures.
