ROCK VALLEY, Iowa (KWWL)- Hundreds of Iowans are without homes after flash flooding left multiple towns in the Northwest portion of the state underwater.
After four years of drought, Governor Kim Reynolds said areas got up to 15 inches of rain over Friday and Saturday. With the ground already saturated, that led to severe flooding across several counties.
The hardest-hit area is Rock Valley, where the Rock River could no longer take the rain that has slammed the region, and a levee broke, sending high floodwaters into the town. Gov. Reynolds said search and rescue teams conducted 250 water rescues on Saturday.
The floodwaters were too high and swift for trucks, so first responders used boats or high-water vehicles to get people out. In some cases, they had to use helicopters to rescue people stranded on rooftops or upper floors.
Reynolds called the devastation "severe and widespread," noting that in many communities, the rivers crested several feet above record levels from the 1993 floods, and 16 flood gauges set historic levels.
While it is still early, Gov. Reynolds said the early damage reports are "staggering." She said at least 1900 properties have been damaged, and hundreds of homes have been destroyed. It is unclear what the loss of agriculture property and land is from the flooding, but the impact is severe.
"Businesses are shuttered, Main Streets have been impacted, hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities were evacuated," Gov. Reynolds said. "Cities are without power, and some are without drinkable water."
The DNR said the flooding affected ten water systems and 21 wastewater systems as of last night. Overnight, more than 1000 Iowans were in shelters.
On Sunday, Gov. Reynolds said she submitted a request for an Expedited Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, asking for federal help for nine counties: Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Plymouth and Sioux. She also asked to activate FEMA's Public Assistance Program for 22 counties.
While the floodwaters have begun to recede in Northwest Iowa communities, having crested and are coming down, it is not over, as the water will head downstream.
"This is a severe flood that we're in right now," John Benson, the Director of the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said. "It is not going to cease. It is going to blossom across the state."
That water will head downstream, and areas to the south along the Missouri River are planning for rivers to continue to crest at record levels.
"Everything you see in northwest Iowa is getting dumped into the Missouri River," Benson said. "If you go look at the river gauges in the Missouri, they are going up, and they are going to go up quickly. You will see those gauges peaking beginning in the back part of this week. If you're on the Missouri River and those rivers, please pay attention to the forecast."
The seven-day forecast calls for more rain, which means flooding could continue to be an issue and impact other parts of the state, such as Eastern Iowa.
"We do have rain forecast for the next seven to ten days, and that rain is going to be primarily focused on the Eastern half of the state," Benson said. "Those rivers are rising, and this will cause them to rise further."
Donna Dubberke, the Meteorologist-in-Charge for the National Weather Service Des Moines office, said North Central Nebraska, southeastern South Dakota, southern Minnesota, and Northwest Iowa received more than ten inches of rain last week, eight times the average.
"A very high rainfall event that water is now working its way down through the system," Dubberke said. "The concern with a forecast is we remain in an active weather pattern, which means periodic rain chances throughout the next week to 10 days in the short term."
While the systems on Monday and Tuesday will move fairly quickly, and rainfall amounts will be lower, Dubberke said the bigger concern is Thursday into Friday and potentially even into Saturday. By the end of the week, they expect the Mississippi River System to be in a major flood stage as the water from the tributaries continues to make its way into those main rivers.
The heavier rain in Eastern and Central Iowa is not expected until the week's end.
She cautioned people that the river forecasts online only include rain for the next 24 hours, and they could completely change depending on how the rain falls and impacts the river system.
The Cedar River is already at 19.4 feet, a major flood stage in Charles City. The river is projected to crest at 20.5 feet on Monday morning.
In Cedar Rapids, the Cedar River is projected to crest at 14 feet on Friday, below the major flood stage of 16 feet.
Cedar Falls is projected to crest at 93 feet, one foot below the major flood stage of 94 feet.
The rest of the cities along the Cedar River are currently projected to see minor flooding. You can see the river levels here.
Governor Reynolds encouraged Iowans to pay attention to the forecast and stay aware of the weather over the next several days. If they are in an area that is going to flood and receive an evacuation order, she encouraged them to take it seriously and follow it.
