Press Release Archive
Saturday, June 14, 2008
5:00 AM Update on Flooding in Iowa
JOHNSTON - Below is the latest information from the Iowa State Emergency Operations Center.
PREPARATION EFFORTS IN IOWA CITY
* The Iowa National Guard continues to work on sandbagging efforts throughout the community.
* A Coast Guard Disaster Assistance Response Team from St. Louis was sent to Iowa City to assist.
Linn County Emergency Management’s public information officer estimated 24,000 people were evacuated in Cedar Rapids.
EVACUATIONS
Des Moines’ Birdland Park neighborhood is subject to a 270 home mandatory evacuation due to levee breach in the area of 6th and New York. Local law enforcement are responding and are moving people to Hardin Hills shelter. There is no request for state assistance.
Montour, in Tama County, may be evacuating 20 homes on the northeast side of the city because of levee breach.
ROADS AND RAIL
The Iowa Department of Transportation reports 53 roads are affected, some with multiple closures. Interstate 80 east of Iowa City and Interstate 380 (also known as U.S. 218/Iowa 27) Johnson County between exit 4 (North Liberty) and exit 10 are closed. Many other state, county, and city roads are closed. State officials are asking citizens to help ease congestion on the roads that are open by avoiding unnecessary travel.
There are no rail operations through Ottumwa.
The Iowa Department of Transportation publishes road and travel information at www.iowadot.gov. For trip planning, visit www.511ia.org.
SHELTERS
* Cedar Falls–UNI West Gym
* Cedar Rapids–Viola Gibson Elementary and Prairie High School
* Coralville–Northwest Junior High School
* Ottumwa–Ottumwa High School
* Iowa City–Johnson County Fairgrounds and Northwest Junior High School
* Shenandoah–Old Armory
* Toledo–Toledo Community Building
* Des Moines–Harding Middle School
* Pleasant Hill–Southeast Polk Junior High
* Waverly–Wartburg College
WATER SUPPLIES
* Mason City’s water supply is now safe to drink.
* Iowa City is protecting its main water supply by sandbagging. They have also shut off several bridge crossings and evacuated areas.
* Ottumwa continues to build up the berm around the water treatment facility.
* Sidney is starting to sandbag east of town to protect its fresh water supply.
* A potable water site has been set up for Eddyville and Eldon.
STORM TOTALS
* 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.
* Responding to emergencies: 2,354 Iowa Army National Guard and 233 Iowa Air National Guard (total 2,587); 190 Iowa State Patrol; more than 1,000 from the Iowa Department of Transportation
* Federal Declaration: Counties eligible for federal assistance in addition to the counties affected by the tornadoes of May 25:
* Individual Assistance: Adams, Benton, Bremer, 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.
* Public Assistance: Boone, Cerro Gordo, Crawford, Dallas, 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. Black Hawk, Buchanan, Butler and Delaware were previously included on the declaration for Public Assistance.
* Governor’s 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.
* State Emergency Responders
* 2,354 Iowa Army National Guard and
* 233 Iowa Air National Guard
* 190 Iowa State Patrol;
* More than 1,000 Iowa Department of Transportation workers
* Sandbags: more than 4 million
* Pumps: 92 pumps
* Gallons of water: 180,430 (The equivalent of over 2.1 million 12 oz. bottles of water)
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says citizens with a private water well that is currently or was flooded should not drink or wash with the well water. They also should not work on the well pump due to risk of electrical shock. Information on how to determine if your well is safe is available at www.iowadnr.gov .
The DNR will enter an emergency support function contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to recover floating oil or gas drums and propane tanks and properly dispose of them. Although most of these tanks and drums are empty, citizens who may find them should not take unnecessary risks. Contact law enforcement for assistance.
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
* 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.
* FEMA 1-800-621-3362 (to register for federal individual disaster assistance) TTY 1-800-462-7585