Iowa’s largest utility says it is -not- switching off the lights in one of the state’s smallest towns, left nearly vacant after many residents fled approaching flood waters. Tina Potthoff, spokeswoman for MidAmerican Energy, says she wants to separate fact from fiction as the Missouri River rises and swallows up more acres in southwest Iowa.

“There’s been a lot of rumors circulating that we are shutting off power,” Potthoff says. “That is not the case. We are monitoring the situation on an hourly and daily basis. At this time, we do not have plans to shut off the power in Hamburg.” Potthoff says MidAmerican will only cut off the electricity in certain cases — at the request of the customer, if the utility determines the situation is hazardous or if city or emergency officials make the request.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)