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Residents of Missouri Valley evacuated by flooding

News

March 15th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — Missouri Valley Mayor Shawn Kelly says around one-thousand of the city’s three-thousand or so residents had to be evacuated Thursday when it looked like a nearby creek and a river might overflow. Several local levees then breached and allowed more water to flood the city. Red Cross representative Gerry Sue Rinella says some people spent the night in the city’s community center, while other have been in and out for food. “They can just sit and share their stories, or debrief with each other and kind of relax a little bit,” Rinella says.

Mayor Kelly says a lot of the residents who weren’t hit by the flooding have been helpful to those who have. “They’ve volunteered to open their doors for displaced people to come stay at their houses and whatever they need,” according to Kelly. “The small community we have is a wonderful community that is helping everyone as best they can.”

It’s unknown how long the evacuation could be in place. About 60 miles north, the City of Hornick told its 200 or so residents to evacuate after a levee broke along the West Fork of the Little Sioux River. A nearby city has set up a shelter for them.