Residents of Sioux City are finally seeing some positive signs that the flooding Missouri River is going back down. Woodbury County Emergency Management Director, Gary Brown, says the Missouri dropped below flood stage late Wednesday. “It’s been 81 days since the Missouri River has been below flood stage in Sioux City, Iowa,” Brown said.

The river crested on July 21st, and Brown says it is now almost five feet lower. The receding waters are showing how much work is ahead in the recovery. Brown says they are seeing damage to property in collapsed sidewalks, farm fields damaged, and trees toppled over. “So we’re seeing what we expected we would when the water started going back down,” Brown says.

He says the race is on now to get as much cleaned up as they can before winter sets in. He says they’re starting to clean up some of the mud and muck cleaned up. Brown says they really hope to get a main intersection at Hamilton Boulevard and I-29 re-opened as quickly as they possibly can so businesses in the area can get running again.

While the floodwaters are going down, Brown is warning residents to stay away from flooded areas as they are still dangerous.

(Radio Iowa)