(The Center Square) – Northwest Iowa residents continued to clean up on Monday after a major deluge of rain over the weekend caused floods that damaged hundreds of homes.
Gov. Kim Reynolds asked President Joe Biden for expedited help on Sunday for 22 counties. The governor said in a news conference that at least 1,900 homes were impacted by the floods. Just nine counties reported 365 damaged or destroyed homes, and 770 people were evacuated from their residences, Reynolds said.
Recovery costs exceed $8 million but will increase, according to the proclamation. More than half of the money needed will go toward debris removal.
More than 17 inches of rain fell in Lyon County between June 16 and June 22, according to information provided by the governor in her request for an expedited emergency declaration. Rock Valley, a community in Lyons County, was one of the hardest-hit towns,
“Rock Valley was inundated by the flood, but this resilient community is now focused on moving forward,” Reynolds said in a social media post. “I want to commend Mayor Van Otterloo and his entire team for their exceptional leadership. My team and I are working closely with them to restore core services as soon as possible, and we’ll be there for the long haul.”
The governor issued a disaster declaration for five additional counties in western Iowa on Monday.
The Big Sioux River may have crested, South Dakota officials said Monday. The river flows from northwestern Iowa to eastern South Dakota.
Sioux City, Iowa officials said Monday afternoon the Big Sioux River was at 44.5 feet. About 17 people were evacuated from the North River Drive area, according to city officials.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said Monday she was confident her state would meet the $1.6 million damage threshold to receive help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
