STATEWIDE — Following heavy rainfall throughout Northern Iowa, the DNR encourages Iowans to stay out of streams until the waters recede. Heavy rain has inundated several areas of Iowa and led to multiple wastewater discharges, flooded waterways in northwest Iowa, and park closures across the state.

Wastewater and Drinking Water

The DNR Field Office in Spencer was notified early this (Friday) morning of several wastewater bypasses and animal feeding operation discharges in Lyon, Sioux, Dickinson, O’Brien, Osceola, and Clay counties. Currently, the department is unaware of impacts to municipal drinking water supplies or fish kills. DNR staff will continue to monitor these situations and assist impacted communities.

Heavy rainfall can overload wastewater collection systems and underground sewer pipes carrying sewage to a treatment plant. With sewage pipes overwhelmed, excess water has nowhere to go and can back up into basements through floor drains. Bypassing can lower the water level and alleviate pressure in the collection system, keeping sewage from backing up into basements, which could present health risks.

State Park Impacts

In the Iowa Great Lakes area, some docks, boat ramps, public beaches, and roads are underwater and may be closed over the next several days due to changing conditions and potential hazards.

George Wyth State Park, in Waterloo, will close Monday at 3:00 pm due to predicted levels of the Cedar River. The park will remain closed through Friday, depending on additional rainfall.

Dolliver State Park, near Lehigh, the Des Moines River is expected to crest at 15 feet during the next few days, which will close the road through the park.

Wilson Island Recreation Area in Pottawattamie County is predicted to be flooded by the rising Missouri River later in the week.

Campers who have made a reservation will be notified if there is a campground closure. More areas may be impacted with additional rainfall. Plan ahead and visit the DNR’s Alerts and Closures web page for the latest information: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks/Alerts-and-Closures 

Rivers and Lakes

Due to heavy rainfall, rivers and lakes in Northern Iowa are unsafe for swimming or boating. Fast currents, floating debris, hidden obstacles, and the potential of bacteria make these areas dangerous. Boaters and paddlers should plan ahead as additional areas may become unsafe as flood waters move downstream.

(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)

(Radio Iowa) – At least four Iowa mayors are attending the U-S Conference of Mayors, underway in Kansas City through Sunday. The non-partisan gathering of 200-plus mayors is open to those from communities with populations of 30-thousand or more. Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart says homelessness is one challenging issue many of the elected leaders from across the country are facing. Mayor Hart says he launched a homelessness task force earlier this month.

Gun violence is another key topic, though Hart says Waterloo’s numbers in that category are trending downward, which he credits to efforts like gun buy-back programs. Many communities are also struggling with mental health, Hart says, and how to expand services.

The mayors are working to compile a list of priorities for the next administration prior to the November presidential elections. Even with so many elected leaders at the conference, he says there’s no political grandstanding. Hart notes, there’s no such thing as a Republican pothole or a Democratic pothole.

Other Iowa mayors at the 92nd annual conference include Danny Laudick of Cedar Falls, Connie Boesen of Des Moines and Brad Cavanagh of Dubuque.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Association of Realtors says home inventory saw a boost in both new listings and overall available homes in Iowa for May. Statewide housing analyst Les Sulgrove says there’s a couple of factors involved.

There were some 71-hundred homes on the market in May, an increase of 36 percent from last year, and a nine-point-four percent increase from May 2023.

The number of homes sold in May was up almost four percent from last May and up 20 percent from April.

He says interest in rural areas close to metros have gained more attention in recent years.

Sulgrove says April through July is the busiest period as people look to move after school is out, and that trend has held this year.

Sulgrove says things appear to be shifting right now.

The days on the market increased four-point-nine percent to 43 days in May compared to the 41 days of one year ago. The median sales price is up from 238-thousand dollars this year compared to 225-thousand dollars last year at this time.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Following the severe storms that hit Iowa on April 26-27 and May 20-21, two Presidential Disaster Declarations were issued for the state of Iowa. Qualifying individuals may be eligible for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).

These declarations allow the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to offer D-SNAP for Iowans in specific ZIP codes impacted by the tornadoes and storms that moved through Iowa on April 26-27 and May 20-21.

April 26 storms

Persons who lived in the following ZIP codes on April 26-27, had a storm-related loss, and qualify based on income and resources between April 26 and May 25 may be eligible to receive D-SNAP benefits: 50213, 50327, 50801, 50863, 50854, 51503, 51526, 51527, 51537, 51542, 51548, 51553, 51557, 51561, 51564, 51570, 51578.

SNAP recipients who received April 2024 SNAP benefits and were affected by the April 26-27 storms in the ZIP codes listed above can apply for D-SNAP benefits by completing SNAP Recipient Request for Disaster SNAP which is available by calling 515-420-6048 between June 25 – June 29 at the times listed below.

May 20-21 storms

Persons who lived in the following ZIP codes on May 20-21, had a storm-related loss, and qualify based on income and resources between May 20 and June 18 may be eligible to receive D-SNAP benefits: 50007, 50046, 50201, 50849, 50864

SNAP recipients who received SNAP benefits in May 2024 and were affected by the May 20-21 storms in the ZIP codes listed above can apply for D-SNAP benefits by completing SNAP Recipient Request for Disaster SNAP available by calling 515-420-6048 between June 25 – June 29 at the times listed below.

Those who are eligible to receive D-SNAP benefits will receive food dollars on an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card that is equivalent to the maximum allotment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for their household size. D-SNAP benefits can be used for food purchases at any SNAP-authorized retailer, including farmers markets and certain online retailers. For a complete list of authorized retailers, please see the USDA SNAP retailer locator fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-locator.

D-SNAP uses different qualifying rules than regular SNAP. Those who may not normally qualify for SNAP, based on income, may qualify for D-SNAP if they lived in one the ZIP codes listed above on April 26-27 or May 20-21, 2024, and suffered one or more of the following disaster-related expenses:

• Loss of or no access to income due to the disaster, including reduced, terminated, or delayed receipt of income
• Home or self-employment business repairs, including supplies paid for out of pocket and not reimbursed during the 30-day period of time
• Temporary shelter expenses

Income limits

A household’s net income, for their household size, cannot be more than the amounts listed below for the following 30-day period of time:

April 26 – May 25 for the April 26-27 storms

May 20 – June 18 for the May 20-21 storms

Any disaster-related expenses paid out of pocket and not reimbursed during that 30-day period of time can be subtracted from the household’s net income to be eligible for D-SNAP benefits.

D-SNAP applicants will need to provide proof of their identity. They may need to provide proof of residence in the storm-affected area, income, and disaster-related expenses.

There are two ways to apply for D-SNAP if someone lived in one of the approved ZIP codes, by phone or in-person. The hours are the same for both.

• Tuesday, June 25 9am – 4:30pm
• Wednesday, June 26 9am – 4:30pm
• Thursday, June 27th 9am – 5:30pm
• Friday, June 28th 9am – 4:30pm
• Saturday, June 29th 8am to 11am

Applications and interviews can be completed over the phone by calling 515-420-6048.

Applications and interviews are completed in-person at the following locations. Please take proof of identity. You may need to provide proof of residence in the storm-affected area, income, and disaster-related expenses.

417 E. Kanesville Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA

• 51503, 51526, 51527, 51537, 51542, 51548, 51553, 51557, 51561, 51564, 51570, 51578 (April 26-27 storms)
• 50864 (May 20-21 storms)

201 N. Elm St, Creston, IA

• 50213, 50801, 50854, 50863 (April 26-27 storms)
• 50849 (May 20-21 storms)

2309 Euclid Ave, Des Moines, IA

• 50327 (April 26-27 storms)
• 50007, 50046, 50201 (May 20-21 storms)

For more information visit: hhs.iowa.gov/dsnap.