(Radio Iowa) – Flood waters are dropping in some areas of northwest Iowa, but Sioux County Sheriff Jamie Van Voorst says the emergency remains. He says you should use common sense when driving in the areas that had been flooded. He says you should stay on the known open roads and not venture too far out to go sightseeing. The sheriff says there has not been time for inspectors to get out and look at the roads to determine if they are safe.

“In a lot of cases, the shoulders have washed out or culverts underneath where people can’t see are washed out and there’s even some areas where bridges have been compromised and haven’t been checked yet,” he says. “So there’s a lot of unforeseen things under the surface that people need to be very cautious around.”

Some of the damaged roads and bridges may not be open for several days as crews inspect and make assessments. Some bridges may be out of service for weeks, maybe even months.