More Rain Hits Saturated Iowa, Causes Flooding
Powerful thunderstorms rolled across parts of the northern Plains and the upper Mississippi Valley on Wednesday, causing flooding in already saturated parts of Iowa.
The storms developed in moist and unstable air along two frontal boundaries draped across the central part of the nation, the National Weather Service reported.
Northeastern Iowa was especially hard hit, with an inch or more of rain across that area and across sections of southeastern Minnesota that drain into Iowa’s Cedar and Upper Iowa rivers.
The fifth flood of the year shut off transportation in and out of Chelsea, Iowa, a Tama County town of 376 people. The Red Cross opened a shelter for people who fled their homes.
“They’re used to some flooding, but it is so much deeper this time,” said Tama County emergency management director Pat Paustian.
Three inches of rain was reported at Victor, Iowa, with up to five inches at Spencer, S.D., the weather service reported.
Elsewhere in the region, trees were downed at Waseca, Minn.; Fountain City, Wis.; and Oak Valley, Wis. Wind gusts to 70 m.p.h. were reported at Oronoco, Minn..
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