Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, Monday, issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for five counties in response to the ongoing flooding and severe weather that took place beginning on June 26th. Locall, Adair and Guthrie Counties are included in the proclamation, which allows State resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of the storms.

In addition, the proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Program (IAP) for Adair and Guthrie Counties. The IAP provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or a maximum annual income of $39,580, for a family of three.

Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of temporary housing. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available of the Iowa Department of Human Services website:  http://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs

Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

Adair-Guthrie County Emergency Management Director Bob Kempf is asking people to stay away from the City of Adair due to the damage that resulted from hail ranging in size from ping pong balls to eggs, and heavy rain that hammered the area late Monday morning.

Flooding southwest of Adair near the Jesse James marker.

Exchange State Bank sign riddled by hail

Tree down across a yard and street in Adair

Flooding southwest of Adair along White Pole Rd at Afton Road.

Leaves littered nearly every single street, stripped from the trees.

Kempf says there is lots of hail and wind damage to residents, businesses and vehicles, power lines and trees are down, and debris litters the streets. Unless you know someone in Adair, avoid coming to town. If you live in Adair and you need help cleaning up, call City Hall at 641-742-3751. Likewise, if you want to help with the clean-up process, call the Adair City Hall to sign-up. Work will begin Tuesday on the massive undertaking.

Kemp says there were no injuries reported. Evidence of the storm was visible west of town, along interstate 80, where a semi was blown into the median near the 71-mile marker westbound. There was also extensive crop damage from the hail, heavy rain and wind. Crops west of Adair were shredded and water gushed down through fields and out of normally dry creeks. Just south of the Jesse James train robbery marker along White Pole Road, washed roared across Afton Road just east of White-Pole near the railroad tracks. Construction signs and cones were tossed about on Interstate 80, making for some tricky driving until road crews could put them back in place.

In Adair, massive trees blocked roads, leaves were shredded and littered nearly every single street. Even the Fire Station got hit. Adair Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Jordan Smith told KJAN News there was significant damage, including shattered windows, paint stripped from siding and numerous power poles toppled. He said shortly after the storm went through there was a 9-1-1 call about a person trapped in their vehicle after a tree limb fell on top of it. Powerlines were entangled in the mess, and crews had to wait nearly 90-minutes for power crews from Alliant to arrive before the victim could be extricated. Fortunately, the person in the vehicle was not injured.

Smith’s 2007 pickup, which never had a scratch on it before the storm, was pock-marked from hail damage, and some security lights outside the fire station lay shattered on the ground.

The huge flag flies nearly untethered.

The Caseys canopy is shredded in Adair

More damage in Adair

Authorities report extensive wind and hail damage in Adair this afternoon. There was also wind damage in Atlantic. Sherry Toelle sent these images to KJAN from the 13th Street area of town.

A woman from Malvern was injured Saturday during a motorcycle accident in Mills County. Sheriff’s officials say Mary Holbrook, of Malvern, was transported by helicopter to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha following the accident, which took place just after 6-p.m. Saturday on Main Street, in Malvern. According to the Sheriff’s report, a 1999 Ford driven by Jesse Perkins, of Hastings, was backing out of a private driveway onto Main Street, when Perkins noticed Holbrook’s 1996 Kawasaki approaching southbound.

Perkins drove back into the drive, but Holbrook braked hard and laid the motorcycle on its side. There was no contact between the vehicles.

And, no injuries were reported after a 1994 Ford driven by Zane Carter, of Thurman, hit a parked vehicle on 225th Street in Mills County, early Saturday morning. Carter was subsequently arrested for OWI/2nd offense.

Authorities in Mills County report four people were arrested recently. On Saturday, 20-year old Colton Frank Sederburg, of Riverton, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $1,300. And, 20-year old Zane Christian Carter, of Thurman, was arrested Saturday for OWI/2nd offense. His bond was set at $2,000.

On Thursday, 20-year old Bragun Michael Michaelsen, of Pacific Junction, was arrested at the Fremont County Jail on a warrant for Probation Violation. His bond was set at $25,000.  That same day, 39-year old Jeremy Jack Rusco, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving While Revoked. His bond was set at $1,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Officials are monitoring severe weather in central Iowa that’s capable of producing tornadoes. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning Monday for parts of Adair, Dallas, Guthrie and Madison counties. The warning was allowed to expire at 1:15-p.m.

Officials say a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located four miles southeast of Earlham. Another severe thunderstorm was reported nine miles east of Roland. Officials say there’s the potential for 2-inch hail and strong winds.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent arrests. On Saturday, 34-year old Timothy Matthew Rasmussen, of Exira, was arrested on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. Rasmussen was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on his own recognizance.

And last Thursday, Cass County deputies arrested 34-year old Leo Alan Edwards, of Pacific Junction,  on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Edwards was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was later released on $2,500 bond.

LECLAIRE, Iowa (AP) – A 7 1/2-ton rock has been lowered into place along the Mississippi River in LeClaire as residents work to establish another “freedom rock.” When it’s completed, it will be the 49th Iowa county with a rock covered by a patriotic mural painted by artist Ray Sorensen. He wants to paint such murals in each of Iowa’s 99 counties.

As a crane lowered the boulder into place Saturday, LeClaire resident Tonia Kennedy told the Quad-City Times it’s been a year since she began working to create a freedom rock in LeClaire. Kennedy and others who have joined the effort are trying to raise $15,000 to cover Sorensen’s expenses and other costs. Businesses have donated the cost of acquiring and delivering the boulder.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency warns residents Shelby County is experiencing a flash flood! Parents are warned not to allow children to play in or near flooded areas, as they could be swept into storm drains or larger bodies of water. Do not attempt to cross flooded roadways, turn around, don’t drown! Report water over the roadways or other damage to emergency management at 712-755-2124.

The flash flooding will persist through early afternoon.

Hail, strong winds and even a tornado has occurred in Shelby County while the rest of the surrounding area has dealt with much of the same the past two days and the weather continues to be a threat for much of today (Monday). The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports the heavy storm that came through western Iowa earlier this (Monday) morning produced quarter sized to baseball sized hail that fell near Prairie Rose State Park. Bob Seivert, EMA Coordinator, says the area isn’t in the clear.

“We have been placed in a tornado watch until 6 o’clock. We are actively watching storms forming from our northwest moving to the southeast and will be in our area in the next several hours.”
Sunday evening a tornado was spotted about five miles northwest of Harlan around 8:15pm. Seivert says the EMA had reports it was actually multiple tornadoes.

“There were reports of two brief touchdowns that were documented and we do have footage of them. Difficult sometimes when people are viewing one storm from many different angles to determine if that is the same tornado or different tornado.” Seivert said no damage has been reported from the tornadoes reported in the county. Sirens were howling in Shelby County during the tornado warning and Seivert says residents need to heed the warnings.

“These storms develop rapidly and become violent rapidly and most people are not able to respond and react if they are outside when these develop. The other thing most of these storms are accompanied with severe cloud to ground lightening. That can be devastating if you are struck by lightening. The bottom line is when a tornado warning is issued and the sirens are sounding, it is time to go inside and seek shelter, not stand outside and try to catch it on your cell phone.”

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency offers residents the availability of having warnings directly to your phone through the code red alerts. You can sign up online at www.shelbycountyema.com.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)