Sunday Update on Flooding in Iowa

June 15, 2008 -- JOHNSTON - Below is the latest update on flooding in Iowa.

I. AREAS OF CONCERN
*NEW* Waterloo
Due to overnight severe weather in Northeastern Iowa, there are power outages in Black Hawk County.

Des Moines
750 National Guard soldiers are currently deployed in Des Moines.

Last night a levee breach in Des Moines’ Birdland Park Neighborhood resulted in the evacuation of more than 200 homes.

North High School is flooded.

Reported numbers in shelters by American Red Cross: Harding Middle School, 40 people; Callanan School, 5 people

Coralville
Members of the Coast Guard Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) assisted with getting recreational boats and three people out of the water in Coralville.

Iowa City
Members of the Coast Guard Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) transported waste water treatment employees to the facility, and assisted transporting employees to the animal care facility in Iowa City.

Local officials have ordered mandatory evacuations for several areas of Iowa City with more than 200 homes affected.

350 National Guard soldiers are currently deployed in Iowa City and local officials continue to work to protect critical structures within the area, including filling and delivering sandbags.

A shelter has been established at the Johnson County Fairgrounds.

Columbus Junction/Fredonia
Water is rising behind the IC & E Railroad Bridge located downstream of the confluence of the Iowa and Cedar Rivers.

River levels have forced local officials to order an evacuation of the entire town of Fredonia, and lower portions of Columbus Junction.

Nursing Homes residents in Columbus Junction have been relocated to Washington, Iowa.

Ottuwma
Army Corps of Engineers will slow the Red Rock release rate from 115,000 CFS to 100,000 CFS. This change means that the water will stay at the 21.3 for 12 - 14 days.

Ottumwa will continue to build up the berm around the water treatment facility. Sandbagging efforts are going smoothly.

At 7:00 PM Saturday the state was 19.3 feet.

The river will continue rising to near 21.3 feet by early Sunday afternoon then begin falling.

Oskaloosa
Officials continue to monitor the levees around the water treatment plant.

At 9:30 PM Saturday the stage was 24.3 feet.

The river will continue to fall to a stage of 23.5 feet by Monday morning.

Oakville
Earlier this evening, Des Moines County Emergency Management reported a levee break at Oakville in southeastern Louisa County. The area south in Louisa County and into Des Moines County to Quawka was projected to be inundated within 3 hours.

Local officials have ordered a mandatory evacuation for the community.

Cedar Rapids
There is still a mandatory evacuation order in effect for parts of Cedar Rapids, which affects more than 20,000 people.

Concerns still remain for Cedar Rapids water treatment plant. Capacity has been reduced to 25% percent. City officials are asking people not to take showers or wash laundry, and to conserve water however they can.

IMPORTANT: Do not enter areas affected by flooding unless instructed by emergency personnel to do so. This includes, but is not limited to areas subject to both mandatory and voluntary evacuations.

Remember: Public safety is everyone's job. Evacuate means evacuate!

II. FATALITIES

Sixteen storm-related deaths since the tornado of May 25, including one in Linn County, six in Parkersburg, two in New Hartford, one in Hamilton County, one in Wright County, one in Palo Alto County, and four Boy Scouts in Monona County.

III. DECLARATIONS

Counties covered under Governor Culver’s Disaster Proclamation: 83 counties. Adair, Adams, Allamakee, Appanoose, Audubon, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Carroll, Cass, Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clarke, Clayton, Crawford, Clinton, Dallas, Delaware, Dubuque, Davis, Decatur, Des Moines, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Fremont, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Howard, Humboldt, Henry, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Jefferson, Keokuk, Kossuth, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Lucas, Marion, Marshall, Mitchell, Monona, Montgomery, Muscatine, Mahaska, Madison, Mills, Monroe, Page, Polk, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Ringgold, Scott, Story, Shelby, Tama, Taylor, Union, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren, Webster, Winneshiek, Worth, Wright, Washington, Wayne, and Winnebago.

The Governor's proclamation activates Iowa's individual disaster assistance program. Iowa’s individual disaster assistance program helps people with low incomes. Iowans with household incomes of up to 130 percent of federal poverty guidelines may apply for a grant of up to $3,300 to help recover from flood damage. The governor emphasized that this is a reimbursement program, meaning that applicants must include receipts when applying for help.

Counties declared presidential disasters for Individual Assistance: 18 counties. Adams, Benton, Bremer, Black Hawk, Butler, Buchanan, Cerro Gordo, Delaware, Fayette, Floyd, Hardin, Johnson, Linn, Marion, Page, Story, Tama and Union. Individual Assistance allows homeowners, renters, business owners and non-profit organizations to recover from the effects of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that began May 25 and continues.

Individual Assistance allows homeowners, renters, business owners and non-profit organizations to recover from the effects of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that began May 25 and continues.

Counties declared presidential disasters for Public Assistance: 15 counties. Black Hawk, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Crawford, Dallas, Delaware, Dubuque, Floyd, Franklin, Marion, Story, Tama and Union. Public Assistance funds pay 75 percent of the approved cost of debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster and repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, buildings and utilities. A series of applicant briefings will be held for local officials to explain the application process. (15)

Public Assistance funds pay 75 percent of the approved cost of debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster and repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, buildings and utilities. A series of applicant briefings will be held for local officials to explain the application process. Black Hawk, Buchanan, Butler and Delaware were previously included on the declaration for Public Assistance.

IV. STATE RESOURCES DEPLOYED

More than 2500 Iowa National Guard
200 Iowa State Patrol
1,000 Iowa Department of Transportation Employees
Sandbags: More than 4.8 million
Pumps: 114
Gallons of water distributed: 180,930

ROAD CLOSURES

Interstate 80 continues to be closed east of Iowa City, and Interstate 380 continues to be closed south of Cedar Rapids. Motorists are urged to avoid these areas, and are being directed to use US 61 to US 20 to I-35 when traveling from the east, and I-35, to US 20, to US 61 when traveling from the west.

For the latest in road closures, please visit the Iowa Department of Transportations website at: www.511ia.org.

V. SHELTERS

Harding Middle School-Des Moines/Polk County
203 East Euclid

Callanan Middle School-Des Moines/Polk County
3010 Center St.

Clear Lake Middle School-Clear Lake/Cerro-Gordo County
1601 3rd Avenue North

UNI West Gym-Cedar Falls/Black Hawk County
Hudson Road & University Avenue

Wartburg Collge-Waverly/Bremer County
100 Wartburg Blvd.

Iowa Braille School-Vinton/Benton County
1002 G Avenue

Ottumwa High School-Ottumwa/Wapello County
422 McCarroll Drive

Viola Gibson Elementary-Cedar Rapids/Linn County
6101 Gibson Dr NE

Prairie High School-Cedar Rapids/Linn County
401 76th Ave SW

Johnson County Fairgrounds-Iowa City/Johnson County
Johnson County Agricultural Association, 4261 Oak Crest Hill Road SE

Toledo Community Building-Toledo/Tama County
103 South Church Street

Southeast Polk Middle School-Runnells/Polk County
8031 NE University Avenue

VI. VOLUNTEER

Iowans interested in volunteering or donating are encouraged to contact the Iowa Concerns Hotline at: 800.447.1985.

WARNING: Please stay out of areas affected by flooding unless you are directed to be there. Emergency personnel need free access to these areas, and onlookers affect emergency operations.

VII. KEY NUMBERS/WEBSITE

To call for updated shelter information, call 1-800-GET-INFO (438-4636)

211 (regional call center to help people with human services)

Iowa Concern Hotline 1-800-447-1985 for volunteers and donations

Road Closures Hotline 1-866-452-8510 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily or 24 hours at www.511ia.org

For current weather forecasts and flood statements, visit www.weather.gov

VIII. SCHEDULE FOR TOMORROW
What: Governor Culver will hold a news conference to update the statewide flooding situation.
Where: Joint Forces Headquarters (formerly STARC Armory)
Enhanced Classroom
Johnston, IA
When: 12:30 p.m.

Satellite coordinates:

(LIVE via Iowa Communications Network)
Horizons 2 Transponder 10
KU Band Analog
Downlink Freq.12080 Horizontal
12:00-2:00 p.m. CST

(REBROADCAST via Iowa Public Television)
Downlink Freq. 3920 Vertical. 2:00 p.m. CST Press Conference Playback
What: Lt. Governor Patty Judge will hold a news conference to update the statewide flooding situation.
Where: Joint Forces Headquarters (formerly STARC Armory)
Enhanced Classroom
Johnston, IA
When: 5:00 p.m.

Source: Iowa Governor

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