AMES, Iowa - June 13, 2011; 4:30 p.m. – The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT)
is reporting that flood waters are creeping farther onto the eastbound lanes of Iowa
2 in Fremont County and high winds are causing considerable movement of the waters
nearby. 

Iowa 2 serves as the connection between Iowa and Nebraska City, Nebr. The right
eastbound lane is already closed; the westbound lanes are still open. 

Flood and ground water levels are expected to rise in the area in the coming days.
Rain is also forecast on and off through Thursday. The combination of these
conditions makes the eventual road closure more imminent. 

Recognizing the importance of this highway to the region, the Iowa DOT will keep the
road open just as long as it is safe to do so. The public will be notified when it
is necessary to close the road. 

Traveler safety 
For public safety, the speed limit on the roadway is being reduced. Travelers should
keep their attention focused on the driving task and exercise additional caution at
night when it is more difficult to see a water-covered roadway. Look at the road
ahead instead of nearby flooding, and be on the alert for drivers who may slow down
or stop.       

Key traveler information resources:
·         Iowa DOT’s flood information call center 866-452-8510, open from 7 a.m. to
9 p.m. daily, speak to an operator for travel assistance
·         Road condition information 24 hours a day: visit www.511ia.org, or call
511 (in Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (outside of the state) for a recorded message of road
closures

Part of the cause of the Missouri River flooding in western Iowa is the deep snow pack in the Rocky Mountains. John Lawson is the Wyoming Area Manager for the Great Plains Region of the U-S Bureau of Reclamation. The office manages reservoirs and dams far upriver from the Missouri and Lawson says the scene for the current flooding was set months ago. “We started getting a snow pack building way above average early on, even as early as February and it continued on until we finally got to record heights of snow pack,” he says. Snow pack refers to the amount of water contained in the snow, and while the bureau’s records on snow pack only date back to the early 1980s, Lawson says people have been measuring river flows for much longer.

He says, “We are forecasting inflows into our reservoir system that you would have to go back to somewhere around 1917 to find the kind of flows that we’re talking about and that we’re predicting that we’re going to get over the next 30 to 45 days.” While Iowa’s already seen temperatures topping off in the 90s and even above 100-degrees, Lawson says the record snow pack in Wyoming hasn’t melted much yet.

“We’re about 327% above average with regard to water content in the snow,” Lawson says. “We are dealing with a very unusual situation. Actually, it’s a situation we have no records of to judge by.” Lawson says the bureau has been releasing water from reservoirs upstream in anticipation of the melting snow. Iowans along the Missouri River are being warned the flooding could last for many weeks, even months.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

Levee Breach near Hamburg. Photo courtesy IA Emergency Mgmt

A levee along the Missouri River failed this morning in northwest Missouri, prompting a flash flood warning for the southwest Iowa town Hamburg. Hamburg Fire Chief Dan Sturm witnessed the failure at 9:50 a.m. in an area where three partial breaches occurred last week.  “We were down getting ready to ring some sand boils and actually watched the breach occur,” Sturm said.

“This time, instead of sealing itself off, it tended to blow itself out.” Floodwaters started gushing through the gap – which widened to more than 30 feet in less than an hour. “There really wasn’t anything we could do to stop it at that point,” Sturm said. “We pulled everybody back to start preparations for sealing off the town with the secondary levee.”

The breached levee is located a several miles from Hamburg, so it could be tomorrow (Tuesday) before the floodwaters reach town. But, National Weather Service hydrologist Dave Pearson says the gap in the levee is growing bigger every hour.

“So, as that breach becomes wider, the amount of water moving in increases and that decreases the time it takes to get to the interstate and Hamburg,” Pearson said. A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Transportation says a 20 mile section of Interstate 29 will be closed from Iowa Highway 2 to south of Rock Port, Missouri. The I-29 closure is expected today or tomorrow. Pearson says flood predictions for Hamburg remain unchanged.

“At no point did the Corps of Engineers think this portion of the levee would hold. It was a foregone conclusion that it was going to fail. it was a matter of when, not if,” Pearson said. A secondary levee was built last week to protect Hamburg. It’s not clear if the structure will be strong enough to protect the town of about 1,100 people from the deepening floodwaters. Hundreds of people have already fled their homes and businesses. The Army Corps of Engineers projects, if the secondary levee fails, 8 feet to 10 feet of floodwater would pour into the southern part of Hamburg.

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry E. Branstad today (Monday) announced his “Working Together for a Better Future” tour will be coming to Atlantic, Audubon and Carroll, this week. The stops are part of his 43-city tour that began last week. Branstad said he’s traveling the state to discuss the budget and his administration’s plans to restore “honest budgeting practices.”

The tour is designed to provide Iowans information regarding his administration’s plan to “Build a strong fiscal foundation for the future and create jobs in Iowa.”
This Wednesday, Branstad stops in Carroll, where, at 3-p.m.,  he will speak at the Pizza Ranch restaurant. At 4:30, he’s scheduled to be in Audubon, for a meeting with the  Audubon County Economic Development Group at  800 Market Street. And, at 5:45, Branstad will be at the  Rock Island Train Depot in Atlantic.
For more information, visit http://www.Governor.Iowa.gov

AMES, Iowa – June 13, 2011; 3 p.m. – The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is
reporting that it will be closing the Interstate 29/680 interchange near Loveland at
6 p.m. today. 

This will result in closures being placed at the following locations. 
·         I-680 west- and eastbound from milepost 21 near Beebeetown
(Pottawattamie/Harrison County Road L-34) to the I-29/680 interchange (milepost 71
near Loveland).  
·         I-29 south- and northbound lanes from the I-29/680 interchange to the
I-29/U.S. 30 interchange (milepost 75 near Missouri Valley).

Local and I-29 regional corridor traffic (Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota)
·         Follow the posted local detours or call the Iowa DOT’s flood hotline at
1-866-452-8510 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily for personal traveler assistance.  
·         After hours, call 511 (in Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (out of state) for a
recorded message of closed roads.
·         View the flooded Iowa roads map for road closures, detours and areas at
risk of flooding - http://tinyurl.com/3o2mtlp
National interstate travelers
For interstate travelers planning to use I-29 simply to travel through Iowa, the
Iowa DOT suggests selection of an interstate route that avoids the flood-warned area
along the Missouri River corridor entirely. Travelers can utilize any of the other
interstate routes that remain available. 

Interstate routes not expected to be impacted by flood waters:
·         I-80 from east to west across the entire state 
·         I-35 from north to south across the entire state
·         I-235 in Des Moines metro area
·         I-380 from Iowa City to Waterloo
·         I-74 and I-280 in the Quad Cities
·         I-480 bridge between Council Bluffs and Omaha
I-29 remains vulnerable to additional closures due to the flooding. After the
I-29/680 interchange is closed, I-29 will be closed from milepost 55 in Council
Bluffs to milepost 75 near Missouri Valley.

Washington D.C.- Congressman Steve King (R-IA) has traveled throughout the 5th District to inspect the impact of Missouri River flooding on local communities. As part of his survey, King made stops in Woodbury, Monona, Pottawattamie and Fremont counties.

Congressman Steve King (right) discusses flood preparation efforts in Pottawattamie County with Mayor Tom Hanafan of Council Bluffs during a June 9 briefing held at the Emergency Operations Command Center in Council Bluffs.

At each stop, King examined the extent of area flooding and received briefings on actions that local communities are taking to implement emergency management procedures to safeguard the lives and property of Iowans. King also participated in an aerial survey of Missouri River flooding, viewing the flood’s effects from the southern tip of the Fifth district to Gav

in’s Point in Yankton, South Dakota.
“The Missouri River flood is affecting communities throughout western Iowa, and the scope and scale cannot be understood fully until it is seen firsthand,” said King. “Homes are being flooded, crops are being destroyed, businesses are being closed, and, unfortunately, the flood waters will not be receding anytime soon. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, this will be a historic flood. It is exactly the kind of natural disaster that requires a coordinated response from all levels of government- local, state and federal.”

“I will be working with the Governor’s office, and with my colleagues in Congress, to ensure that communities throughout western Iowa have access to the federal resources that are available to help them protect their citizens and infrastructure, and to help them recover. I also want to express my appreciation for everyone who is volunteering their time to assist with flood prevention efforts. Sandbags do not fill or place themselves, and it has been inspiring to watch Iowans band together to do the hard work that is necessary to keep the water out.”

(Press Release from the office of Cong. KIng)

The Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD) continues to work closely with personnel from the Iowa National Guard, Department of Human Services, Department of Public Safety, Department of Transportation, Department of Natural Resources and other agencies as appropriate at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in response to the flooding situation in Western Iowa. 

Here are the latest developments:

• IA National Guard personnel have been requested to patrol levees in Mills and Pottawattamie Counties. Guard personnel began patrolling levees in Woodbury County over the weekend.

Missouri River crossings

1.       The Iowa DOT is expecting the Missouri River crossings at the following locations to remain open during the flooding

2.       Sioux City: U.S. 77/U.S.20 to South Sioux City, Nebr.; and U.S. 20/U.S. 75 to Nebraska

3.       Council Bluffs/Omaha: I-480 and I-80

o   Call center established for road closures:  1-866-452-8510

• Iowa State Patrol will be assisting Fremont County Sheriff’s Dept. with enhanced security patrols along the I-29 corridor where residents have evacuated. There are no reports of looting at this time.

AMES, Iowa – June 13, 2011; 11 a.m. – The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is reporting that flood waters are quickly approaching the Interstate 29/680 interchange near Loveland and it may be inundated by flood waters today. This is Exit 13B from I-680W to I-29N. 
The Iowa DOT is implementing steps to delay the closure as long as possible; however, it will eventually be inundated.  The area impacted is immediately north of the present closure of I-29, which extends from milepost 55 in Council Bluffs to  milepost 71 near Loveland. The closure of this interchange severs key north-south I-29 travel.    
When the interchange is flooded, the Iowa DOT will close:
·         I-680 west- and eastbound from milepost 21 near Beebeetown (Pottawattamie/Harrison County Road L-34) to the I-29/680 interchange (milepost 71 near Loveland). 
·         I-29 south- and northbound lanes from the I-29/680 interchange to the I-29/U.S. 30 interchange (milepost 75 near Missouri Valley).

Local and I-29 regional corridor traffic (Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota)
·         Follow the posted local detours or call the Iowa DOT’s flood hotline at 1-866-452-8510 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily for personal traveler assistance. 
·         After hours, call 511 (in Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (out of state) for a recorded message of closed roads.
·         View the flooded Iowa roads map for road closures, detours and areas at risk of flooding – http://tinyurl.com/3o2mtlp

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – State officials say crews are working to reinforce and patch aging levees as they prepare for a record release of water on the Missouri River.

Speaking Monday at a news conference with Gov. Terry Branstad, Iowa National Guard Adjutant Derek Hill acknowledged officials are worried about the strength of many levees that haven’t been updated in years.

He says those levees will be under intense strain as more water from reservoirs upstream is released. That high water will hit Sioux City on Wednesday and Council Bluffs on Thursday.

Gov. Terry Branstad says officials continue to examine the levees, looking for spots where repairs are needed.

The DCI and Carter Lake Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a near drowning at a pool. Officials say a caller to 9-1-1 just after 8-p.m. Friday reported a child’s body was discovered in a pool at 1509 Q Avenue.

When law enforcement and medical personnel arrived on the scene they found the 15-month old toddler unresponsive. The DCI was contacted to conduct an investigation into the incident.

Officials say at this time it appears to be accidental. The toddler remains in critical care at a local hospital.