(Radio Iowa) – The clean-up process is underway in the north central community of Rudd, as an apparent tornado caused major damage on Wednesday night. Floyd County’s emergency management director Drew Mitchell says the storm went straight through the middle of town.  “It went from the south part of town up through the north. It heavily damaged some buildings, knocked down a lot of power lines and trees, stuff like that. It did damage to the water treatment plant. I know the city of Rudd will be without water and power for a few days,” according to Mitchell. Mitchell says despite the destruction there have not been any injuries reported. He says the town is already in a cleanup mode.

“The big thing is is cleanup to begin with, because there is a lot of debris, a lot of power lines down. The power lines will be taken care of by the fire department and the energy company. But cleanup is the big thing, there’s a lot of wood and stuff like that laying around town,” he says. Mitchell says people who want to volunteer as part of the cleanup effort are welcome to come to Rudd, but if you are not helping, they are asking that you stay away.

Anyone willing to help with the cleanup is asked to report to the Rudd Fire Department. The Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock school building is open for those needing showers, warmth, and meals. A team from the National Weather Service office in LaCrosse will be in Rudd today to survey the storm.

[COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA] – Emergency Management officials in Pottawattamie County today (Thursday) confirmed one tornado touchdown from yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) storms along the I-80 corridor between Council Bluffs and Neola. They will be working today to validate a likely second tornado that occurred in eastern Pottawattamie County and a swath of likely straight-line wind damages in southcentral Pottawattamie County.

The Agency is requesting assistance from the public to help confirm the severity of the events that occurred. Residents or businesses that have experience property damages related to the storm should report them on the EMA’s website at https://pcema-ia.org/. Damage assessments help officials validate and justify any potential assistance programs for those that may have unmet needs and it also contributes to the data needed to support a statewide disaster declaration if the impacts require federal recovery assistance for individuals and local governments.

Pottawattamie County EMA has submitted a request to the Governor’s Office for activation of the Iowa Individual Assistance Program and Disaster Case Management Programs to assist low-income families in their recovery. If approved, more information will be provide through local media, social media, and the emergency management website. The damage assessment survey is an easy to use online interface from any device and also allows you to submit pictures of your damage to help in the overall recovery process.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Officials with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday), report three arrests:

• 33-year-old Robert Michael Carter was arrested Tuesday, in Walnut, on a warrant for Violation of Probation.
• 38-year-old Nicholas Richard Schumacker, of Winterset, was arrested Wednesday, following an investigation into an injury accident at Highway 92 and 290th Street. He was taken into custody for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Poss. of a Controlled Substance/1st offense. Bond on those charges amounts to $1,300.
• And, Wednesday afternoon, an inmate at the Pott. County Jail was presented with a warrant for Violation of Probation. 49-year-old Brad Randall Webster, of Council Bluffs, was returned to the custody of Corrections staff and then returned to his cell, after being read the warrant.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Thursday (today) announced that 30 municipalities with current State Revolving Fund loans for water quality projects, will save a total of more than $7.6 million in interest over the remaining life of their loans as a result of their interest rate being reduced from 3% to 1.75%. Among the communities, is Atlantic and Bedford. Atlantic will realize a savings of $922,300. Bedford’s savings amounts to $70,25.

The State Revolving Fund is one of Iowa’s primary sources for financing projects designed to improve Iowa’s water quality. Two funds, one for drinking water and one for wastewater and pollution control, have provided low-cost financing to projects in nearly 700 Iowa communities in addition to farmers, watershed groups and others for water quality projects. The program is jointly administered by the Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Debi Durham says “This rate reduction is possible due to the success of the State Revolving Fund and excellent financial management.”

Durham said also, “The State Revolving Fund has saved Iowa communities a total of nearly $50 million in interest payments through interest rate reductions for loans that are more than ten years old. This is $50 million that municipalities have been able to invest in other priorities to create opportunities for their residents, community and businesses to thrive.”  Besides offering communities low interest rates to finance water infrastructure projects, the State Revolving Fund offers other benefits, such as lower up-front costs and no reserve requirement.

For more information on the State Revolving Loan program, visit IowaSRF.com.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – State forestry experts are encouraging Iowans to proceed with caution as they begin cleaning up the tree damage from Wednesday’s storm. Emma Hanigan, urban forestry coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, suggests homeowners hire a tree care professional if they do not have the experience, ability, and equipment to safely prune their own tree. Homeowners planning to do their own tree cleanup should wear safety equipment, including hand, foot, leg, eye, face, hearing and head protection, and avoid wearing loose-fitting clothes while using a chainsaw. “Be careful when working with trees and limbs that are snapped off, twisted and tangled together,” warns Hanigan. “The trunk or tree limbs may bind against the chainsaw.”

After cleanup is complete, homeowners wanting to have their trees inspected should contact a professional, insured arborist. The arborist can examine trees for cracks or other issues that might have been overlooked. Routine tree care of young trees makes them more resilient long term and decreases the likelihood of storm-related damage. Hanigan said younger wind-thrown trees can be saved by staking and guying, but larger trees are less likely to recover. When the time is right, homeowners who have lost trees are encouraged to replant.

The Iowa DNR has information and links to help homeowners identify and select a licensed arborist, and tips on chain saw safety, pruning and tree care and replanting online at https://www.iowadnr.gov/urbanforestry

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon says he has applied for a Disaster Proclamation from the State, and Governor Kim Reynolds is expected to issue a Proclamation for Cass and other counties, sometime today. Kennon said they’re just beginning to assess the damage that spans west/southwest of Atlantic to northeast of town.

Kennon says they had a total of nine semi tractor-trailer rollovers in the County, primarily along Interstate 80. There were no life-threatening injuries reported. He said just because the storm has passed, doesn’t mean there aren’t hazards people should be aware of.

He said power crews are out and about working on downed lines. The tornado sirens in Atlantic went off twice, Wednesday evening. He offered advice to residents in the County, following the storms…

Residents with damage or downed power lines should call the Cass County EMA at 712-254-1500.

(Radio Iowa) – The 14-hundred residents of the northwest Iowa town of Kingsley lost power as Wednesday’s storm damaged power lines, trees and buildings. Duane Walhof is Plymouth County’s Emergency Management director. “Parts of roofs torn off and those type things, mainly on the south side of Kingsley,” Walhof says. “…Titan Machinery had the roof torn off and tossed across the road.”

Walhof says there were reports the roofs of hog barns in rural areas around Kingsley were damaged as well. Walhof says since the storm hit at about 5 p.m., it was difficult to assess damage in the dark. “The National Weather Service will be out to try to identify whether it was straight line winds or a tornado,” Walhof says. “We’ll see what the day brings in how quickly we can get Kingsley back up and restored and back on it again.”

The Plymouth County Sheriff restricted movement within the Kingsley City Limits overnight to residents of the community, to limit the number of sightseers driving through the damage. Kingsley-Pierson School was cancelled for today (Thursday).

The broadcast News at 8:05-a.m., with Ric Hanson.

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The Creston Police Department says a merchant in the 400 block of S. Sumner Avenue reported on Dec. 10th, that a shoplifting incident had taken place. At around 7:10-p.m., a man was seen leaving the building with a basket filled with various tool,s including DeWalt and Milwaukee. The loss was estimated at $50.

The latest area news (broadcast at 7:07-a.m.), w/Ric Hanson.

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