The Midwest has been hammered with snow and precipitation this year. This has caused rivers and dams to reach their capacity. On Thursday, hundreds were evacuated in both Nebraska and Iowa as the potential for flooding came to a reality. Some with only minutes to grab what they needed and leave their homes.
An emergency disaster order was proclaimed in Iowa by Governor Kim Reynolds on Thursday. This allows the state to use resources in response to flooding events. Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts had made the same proclamation earlier this week on Tuesday. Just before 11 a.m. on Thursday, evacuations began.
A levee breached its capacity on the West Fork of the Little Sioux River leaving the residents of Hornick in western Iowa only minutes to evacuate. Catie Newman told the Des Moines Register, “They gave us about 10 minutes, so you just grab the things you need the most.” Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters warned residents and urged them to leave by going door to door.
Newman also stated that tree branches and chunks of ice were just floating across the areas around town. It is home to about 200 people and is 30 miles southeast of Sioux City. “Many of the fields are filled with water as far as the eye can see,” she said. The town of Molville was also flooded.
A water emergency was declared in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, shutting down the Plattsmouth Water Treatment Plant which was threatened by rising flood waters from the Missouri River. Approximately 8,000 of the 24,000 residents were ordered to evacuate in Norfolk, Nebraska. There is one person reported missing according to News Channel Nebraska.
The Public Safety Director of Norfolk, Shane Weidner said “Our ability to respond to emergencies is limited. This is a real threat for us. If that levee is breached, the water is trapped in town and we’ll see flooding like we haven’t since 1965 and there’s nowhere for the water to go,”
