The slowly unfolding flood disaster in northwest and north-central Iowa continued Sunday.
Across the region, many rivers remained at record or near-record levels, and the National Weather Service issued new warnings for both major and minor flooding in downstream communities. The affected rivers include the Big Sioux, Little Sioux, Rock, the eastern, western and main channels of the Des Moines, the Floyd, the Winnebago and the Cedar.
Government Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation Saturday in Buena Vista, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Floyd, Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sioux, Webster, Winnebago, Woodbury, Worth and Wright Counties. It allows authorities to use state resources and activates assistance programs for affected residents, with grants of up to $5,000.
The weather service said Tuesday that additional locally heavy rain is possible in these watersheds, with more rain likely Thursday and Friday.
Starting Saturday: Northwest Iowa Residents Evacuated Due to Flooding; Gov. Kim Reynolds declares disaster
Most of far northwest Iowa remained impassable Sunday due to flooded roads. Numerous communities that flooded Saturday were left without water and sewer service indefinitely.
The National Water Prediction Service said flooding had reached record levels along the Rock River in Rock Rapids and Rock Valley; on the Big Sioux River in Hawarden and Akron; and on the Little Sioux River near Milford. Charles City also experienced major flooding.
The Floyd River at Le Mars, Little Sioux at Linn Grove, the Ocheyedan ​​River at Spencer and the west fork of the Des Moines River were just below record levels and are expected to remain under major flooding for most of the week.
Record levels are expected Monday on the Big Sioux in Sioux City and the Little Sioux in Correctionville. The Cedar is expected to bring major flooding to Cedar Falls on Tuesday. The Des Moines River at Fort Dodge is forecast to reach record levels on Wednesday, and the city has urged residents to help fill sandbags.
Starting Saturday: How much rain has fallen in northwest Iowa? See 24-hour totals
There were numerous warnings of minor to moderate flooding, including on the Winnebago River in Mason City, the Cedar in Cedar Rapids and the Des Moines near Boone. The Mississippi River is also expected to rise throughout the week.
City of Rock Valley opens donation center
One of the hardest-hit cities is Rock Valley in Sioux County, where some residents were evacuated Saturday after a Rock River breached a levee. It said on its Facebook page that it had received numerous offers of assistance and donations, and that a donation center would be open until 1 p.m. Sunday at Boyden Hull Community High School at 801 First St. in nearby Hull.
The city of Spencer warned residents on its Facebook page to be aware of donation scams, warning them to only donate through websites coordinated with the city’s official Facebook page or through businesses they know and trust.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, citing the flooding, canceled a news conference she had held Monday at a North Liberty restaurant to express concerns about federal enforcement in Iowa of child labor laws that are stricter than those recently relaxed.
This article originally appeared in the Des Moines Register: Surging rivers to bring more floods to Iowa
