The Iowa State Patrol investigated two separate accidents Tuesday afternoon, in Pottawattamie County. The first happened at around 3:20-p.m. on Highway 92 southeast of Council Bluffs. The Patrol says 24-year old Rachel Lammert, of Silver City, suffered minor, possible injuries, after the Pontiac Grand Am she was driving rear-ended an SUV driven by 16-year old Braxton Mittan, of Council Bluffs. The accident happened after an unknown vehicle came to an abrupt stop on eastbound Highway 92 near Hearthstone Drive.

Officials say another vehicle passed the stopped vehicle on the shoulder, to keep from hitting the first vehicle. A separate vehicle managed to stop in-time, and the vehicle driven by Mittan stopped before hitting the second vehicle, but Lammert was unable to stop, and could not take evasive action because of the other vehicles on the roadway and shoulder. Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts. Damage from the accident amounted to $8,600. No citations were issued.

The second accident happened about 2-hours later, on Interstate 80 in Council Bluffs. The Patrol says a 2010 Toyota Camry driven by 24-year old Amanda Harding, of Plainfield, IL., was traveling east on I-80 in the center lane crossing into Iowa where I-29 southbound merges with I-80. An unknown semi merging into the first lane collided with the Camry, causing $6,500 damage, but no one was injured. The semi failed to stop, and was never located.

AMES, Iowa – Nov. 16, 2011 – Over the Veterans Day holiday weekend, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) restored traffic on Iowa 333 into Hamburg.

Hwy 333 flooding in Sep. 2011

This marked a significant milestone in Iowa’s fast-track flood recovery effort, as this was the last section of state highway to remain closed as a result of the Missouri River flooding.

Iowa 333 was closed in June when a temporary levee was constructed around Hamburg and across the highway to protect the town. Flooding eventually inundated the highway with several feet of water, damaging the roadway and bridge approach.

Fremont County and the city of Hamburg were hard hit as a result of the Missouri River flooding. Flooding took an economic toll on businesses that lost access to the interstate, as well as to the many regional business and recreational travelers the highway brought to the area. Flooding closures significantly impacted local residents by adding miles to their daily commutes.

The Iowa DOT joins the residents of Fremont County in welcoming visitors back to Iowa, and encourages travelers to make a stop in Hamburg (I-29, exit 1) or any one of the other communities easily accessed from Interstate 29.

(DOT Press Release)

SIDNEY, Iowa (AP) – Officials say the levee near Percival that failed in last summer’s Missouri River flooding will undergo temporary repairs but will remain vulnerable to severe flooding next year. According to reports, damage to the levee is about $120 million but only $10 million has been received to fix it. Pat Sheldon of the local levee district says it’s going to take time to clear legal hurdles and ensure the work is done right. Kim Thomas of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the Percival levee is a top priority but money is limited. The agency says the levee will be repaired to handle a 25-year flood by March 1, but it will take a year or more to restore it to the way it was before the flooding.