Wanda and Randy Bliek of Rock Valley, Iowa woke up to flooding on a Saturday, escaping through truck windows into neck-high water to safety. Rock Valley, with 4,000 people, experienced severe flooding over the weekend, part of a Midwestern flooding that impacted Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota. In South Dakota, a railroad bridge collapsed due to record water levels, while a dam in southern Minnesota was at risk of failing. The extreme weather followed heavy rain and saturated ground, with experts attributing these events to climate change causing more frequent and severe weather extremes.
The floods challenged officials in the region, with shifting river forecasts making it hard to predict the extent and timing of flooding. In Iowa, where hundreds of properties were destroyed, rivers were receding in some areas by Monday afternoon. The Minnesota National Guard was mobilized due to evacuations from heavy rainfall. Emergency crews worked nonstop to evacuate residents and strengthen defenses against the rising waters. Two South Dakota cities, Sioux Falls and Mitchell, had their wettest two-day periods on record, further exacerbating the flooding situation.
In North Sioux City, where homes were destroyed, last-minute efforts to raise levees helped prevent more extensive damage. The collapse of a rail bridge in North Sioux City was attributed to flood conditions, with trains being rerouted. Farther north, in Lincoln County, an 87-year-old man died while attempting to turn a vehicle on a washed-out road. The Rapidan Dam in Blue Earth County, Minnesota was in imminent failure condition, adding to the areas under threat from flooding. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds reported significant water rescues and thousands of properties affected by the floods.
In Rock Valley, residents like Joane Rozeboom and Britney Westra faced the devastation of their boutique due to flooding. The shop, opened with help from Covid-19 stimulus checks, was now mangled goods being cleared out. Residents like the Blieks faced loss in their homes, with treasured items like their daughter’s ashes unharmed amidst the destruction. As cleanup efforts began in Rock Valley and other affected areas, residents faced the challenging task of rebuilding and recovering from the damage caused by the severe flooding. The destruction left behind by the floods would require significant effort to restore homes, businesses, and communities in the region.
