(Radio Iowa) – Flood warnings were issued in far northwest Iowa, Friday (June 21), as water levels continue to rise after eight inches of rain fell Thursday night. Rock Valley Mayor Kevin Van Otterloo is closely monitoring the Rock River that runs north of the town of four-thousand in Sioux County as more rain is expected. It reached record levels during devastating flooding ten years ago, and it could get there again.

The projections are pretty close to the 22-point-seven inches for the crest in 2014. During the past several years, Rock Valley built berms to protect property and people. Sandbagging is underway not only in Rock Valley but other communities in nearby Lyon and Plymouth counties.

Van Otterloo says evacuations could be ordered.

Rock Valley will decide sometime this afternoon if it will evacuate the northern part of the city.  Other nearby communities also fearful of flooding include Sioux Rapids, Hawarden, and Akron. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says a woman who tried to drive through a flooded roadway in rural Spencer went into a waterfilled ditch and had to be rescued by two people entered the water, broke the rear window and removed the woman. Within minutes after the rescue, the vehicle was fully under water.

(article by Sheila Brummer, Iowa Public Radio via Radio Iowa)