At least two dead in devastating Midwest floods, triggering evacuations

Floods in the Midwest have caused severe damage: a bridge collapsed, a dam was weakened and a town had to be evacuated.

Nearly 3 million people in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota and Nebraska are affected.

In the border region between Iowa and South Dakota, the devastation caused by the record flood was “severe and widespread,” according to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. At least one person in Iowa and one person in South Dakota have died.

“Flooding impacts will continue” in parts of Iowa and South Dakota, “but the chance of additional precipitation over the next two to three days is low,” the National Weather Service said in an update Monday afternoon.

Iowa

In Clay County, Iowa, the sheriff’s office confirmed that one person drowned as a result of flooding over the weekend.

Spencer, Iowa – a city of more than 11,000 people and the county seat of Clay County – was cut off from the rest of the state by the flooding. Hundreds were evacuated to shelters and 383 rescues were conducted, according to Spencer Fire Chief Jesse Coulson.

Nate Gatelum, 20, said he was at home in Spencer with his roommate when they realized they had to flee.

“We started on the street and then ended up behind the house because we kept having to back up,” Gatelum said. “It was just an eerie feeling, and my roommate and I thought, ‘Yeah, we have to go.'”

Gatelum said his basement was flooded and his house will be uninhabitable for a while.

“But that’s nothing compared to what happened to other people around us,” he said. “In the south of the city, the houses are almost completely destroyed.”

Gatelum described collapsed houses across the city, cars submerged or floating in the streets, and massive power outages. Gatelum said people trapped in their homes had to jump from upper floors onto boats to escape.

Still, he said the city came together to help those most affected.

“The best thing about this city is that everyone who wasn’t severely affected is opening their doors to as many people as they can accommodate,” he said. “Like my mother, who took in 11 people and a couple of dogs because her house was completely destroyed.”

“I had my truck and was helping families get to safe zones in the bed of my truck,” Gatelum said.

Reynolds visited several areas in northwest Iowa on Monday. She declared a state of disaster for one county and a state of emergency for five others.

“In almost all affected communities, the river reached its record level since the 1993 flood by several feet,” the governor said in a press conference on Sunday.

The fire marshal in Sioux City, Iowa, called the flooding “unprecedented” and said it was difficult to predict what would happen next because the region had no experience with devastation of this magnitude.

“Nobody has ever experienced such heavy rainfall and so much water at once,” said Marshal Mark Aesoph, noting that the evacuation area will continue to grow as water levels continue to rise within a temporary levee built to control flooding.

According to the National Weather Service, a flood warning is in effect in parts of northwest Iowa until 1 p.m. Tuesday.

South Dakota

A railroad bridge connecting Sioux City, Iowa, to North Sioux City, South Dakota, collapsed Sunday evening and plunged into the Big Sioux River.

According to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, one person was killed in South Dakota after an emergency vehicle rolled down an embankment created by a flooded road.

Governor Kristi Noem urged citizens to consider their personal safety and that of their families as their “top priority” and reminded them to stay away from floodwaters.

“A person has actually lost their life in this whole incident,” Noem said. “And it’s becoming increasingly clear to this family how dangerous this is.”

The governor warned that the next few days would be “tough” and that the effects of the flood’s destruction would be felt in the state for months.

“If we need another reminder of how destructive water is,” Noem said during a press conference on Monday, “we are seeing it in real time today.”

According to the National Weather Service, a flood warning is in effect for southeastern South Dakota until 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Minnesota

In southern Minnesota, a dam near Rapidan is facing “imminent collapse” because flooding has caused structural damage. Still, the structure is still functional for now and local authorities say there is currently no plan for a “mass evacuation” as they continue to monitor the situation.

The NWS issued a flash flood warning until 10:30 a.m. Tuesday for areas below the Rapidan Dam along the Blue Earth River. The service urged people in low-lying areas below the dam to immediately move to higher ground.

A flood warning is also in effect for the rest of southern Minnesota until Tuesday, and a flood warning is even in effect in some southwestern parts of the state.