The Audubon County Engineer’s Office reports says a bridge on 340th west of F58 before Quail Avenue is closed due to damage by ice. The bridge will remain closed until it can be repaired. Officials are recommending the public not travel unless they absolutely have to, especially on the gravel roads, because the roads are treacherous due to the rain.
OSAGE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a school bus with 10 students on board went into a roadside ditch on an icy gravel road southwest of Osage in northern Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol said one person was taken to a hospital as a precaution after Wednesday morning’s accident. The name of the adult or student and other information about the bus and accident haven’t been released. Station KIMT reports that a power pole was lying atop the bus and that a firetruck was having trouble maneuvering on the slick roadway.
Cass IA-Union IA-Adams IA-Ringgold IA-Taylor IA-Adair IA-
1157 AM CDT WED MAR 13 2019
The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a
* Flood Warning for Small Streams in…
Cass County in southwestern Iowa…
Union County in south central Iowa…
Adams County in southwestern Iowa…
Ringgold County in south central Iowa…
Taylor County in southwestern Iowa…
Adair County in southwestern Iowa…
* Until noon CDT Thursday.
* At 1152 AM CDT, the combination of rainfall and residual snowmelt
is resulting in rises in creeks and streams across the area. Local
law enforcement and spotters have reported several county roads
with water over them. In addition, another round of moderate
rainfall will impact portions of western Iowa this afternoon with
an additional 0.25 to 0.75 inches of rainfall possible. This
rainfall will lead to additional flooding impacts along creeks and
streams and low lying areas. Ice jams are also possible.
* Some locations that may experience flooding include…
Creston, Atlantic, Greenfield, Mount Ayr, Corning, Bedford, Stuart,
Lenox, Griswold, Sun Valley Lake, Green Valley Lake, Lake Icaria,
Anita, Afton, Adair, Fontanelle, Lewis, New Market, Orient and
Clearfield.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small
creeks and streams, country roads, farmland, and other low lying
spots.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An investigation by The Associated Press has found that police departments routinely withhold video taken by body-worn and dashboard-mounted cameras of officer-involved shootings and other uses of force. To test the public’s ability to access police video under state open records laws for Sunshine Week, the AP made requests for roughly 20 recent incidents in a dozen states. The requests were met with denial after denial and failed, so far, to unearth video of a single incident that had not already been made public.
In rejecting or delaying the requests, most law enforcement agencies and prosecutors cited broad exemptions that allow them to keep records of pending investigations secret. Government watchdog groups say the exemption can be misapplied to hide embarrassing footage from the public.
MODERATE TO MAJOR, AND POSSIBLY HISTORIC FLOODING EXPECTED TO DEVELOP…
.Heavy rain, combined with warmer temperatures and melting snow, frozen ground, and thick ice cover in the rivers will lead to widespread flooding on many rivers and streams. Minor flooding of some roads have already occurred, as well as urban flooding in areas where drains were blocked with snow and ice. Many rivers will experience moderate to major flooding, and in some cases, record flooding is forecast. Ice jams could also develop with little notice which would enhance the flood threat. Road closures are possible in flooded areas.
Monona-Harrison-Shelby-Pottawattamie-Mills-Montgomery-Fremont-
Page Counties in Iowa……FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING…
* Showers and thunderstorms will be possible today, with 1 to 2.5 inches of rain through Thursday. Due to the unique combination of heavy rain, continued snowmelt, frozen ground,
and thick ice cover on area rivers, widespread flooding is expected. Many rivers will experience moderate to major flooding, and in some instances, record flooding is possible.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Significant and rapid river level increases are possible due to excessive runoff. Ice jams could also develop with little notice which would further enhance the flood
threat. Many rural roads could be inundated, and urban flooding may occur in poor drainage areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A Flood Watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts. You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take quick action should flooding develop.
1112 AM CDT Wed Mar 13 2019
…DENSE FOG TODAY, HIGH WINDS THURSDAY…
Areas of dense will continue across the area today with visibility 1/4 mile or less. Very strong winds are forecast for Thursday. Visibility could also be reduced Thursday with areas of
blowing snow. Monona-Harrison-Shelby-Pottawattamie-Mills-Montgomery Counties…
…DENSE FOG ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING…
* VISIBILITIES…at times less than a half a mile this afternoon.While raining, they may improve for a time.
* IMPACTS…Slow travel due to the lower visibilities. Exercise caution if traveling.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A Dense Fog Advisory means visibilities will frequently be reduced to less than one quarter mile. If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.
The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a
* Flood Warning for…
Guthrie County in west central Iowa…Dallas County in central Iowa…* Until 1015 AM CDT Thursday.
* At 1005 AM CDT, emergency management and automated river gages reported rapid 8 to 10 foot rises on the Middle Raccoon and South Raccoon Rivers in Dallas and Guthrie Counties due to ice jams. This is likely to impact several county roads near the rivers with road closures expected. In addition…another round of moderate to heavy rainfall will impact Dallas and Guthrie Counties later this morning into the afternoon. This rainfall, along with continued snowmelt will lead to additional flooding impacts along small creeks and streams and low lying or poor drainage areas.
* Some locations that may experience flooding include…
West Des Moines, Urbandale, Clive, Waukee, Grimes, Perry, Adel,
Guthrie Center, Stuart, Dallas Center, Earlham, Granger, Panora, De
Soto, Woodward, Van Meter, Jordan Creek Town Center, Lake Panorama,
Redfield and Adair.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, country roads, farmland, and other low lying spots. A Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring. All interested parties should take necessary precautions immediately.
(Radio Iowa) — It’s said April showers bring May flowers, but after Iowa’s snowiest February on record, March showers bring widespread flooding. Meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff, at the National Weather Service, says there are flood watches and warnings all across the Iowa map and some roads are already barricaded off due to the high water. “We’ve got several areas that are forecast to go into either minor or moderate flooding,” Hagenhoff says. “Luckily, we’re not seeing that quite yet, other than in a few locations, but definitely with the continued snowmelt that we’re seeing and extra rainfall today, it’s only going to enhance that.”
Some waterways in southwest Iowa and across much of eastern Iowa have already seen water levels double in the past 24 hours. “The areas we’re really most concerned about are where we’re looking at ice jam potential,” Hagenhoff says. “Those can be especially hazardous just because they can happen fairly quickly with rapid rises and you don’t get a lot of warning.” Indianola and Ottumwa had flash flooding due to ice jams on Tuesday. Other areas of particular concern for ice jams include Marshalltown, Fort Dodge, Van Meter and north of Waterloo. The forecast calls for much warmer weather today (Wednesday), with high temperatures in the upper 40s in northern Iowa to near 60 in southern Iowa. Hagenhoff says there’s still deep snowpack in parts of the state. “We’re pushing ten to 15 inches across portions of northern Iowa,” Hagenhoff says. “Those areas will be a little cooler today but certainly, we’re expecting to see quite a bit of snowmelt all the way through central Iowa. Southern Iowa has seen a lot of melting already and in many cases, their snowpack has completely disappeared.”
The National Weather Service is again posting warnings to motorists approaching flooded waterways, telling them to “Turn around, don’t drown.” “The biggest thing is just to be aware,” she says. “If you can’t see the road through the water, it’s probably a good idea to just turn around and find a different route. You never know how deep it is or what the road conditions are like under that water.” Even in areas where the snow is already long gone, Hagenhoff says there’s concern about flooding as waterways are swelling with runoff from snowmelt upriver.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A special state audit for a Shelby County agency has identified more than $59,000 in improper disbursements. The audit report released Wednesday says the audit was requested because of concerns regarding payments for overtime, compensatory time and vacation to county Emergency Management Agency employees. The audit covered July 1, 2013, through Sept. 30, 2017.
The report says more than $41,000 for paid leave was improperly disbursed for four county employees, primarily for compensatory time. More than $13,000 was improperly disbursed for an employee shared with Audubon County. The report also said nearly $1,600 given to three Shelby County employees was not adequately documented to determine whether the money spent was appropriate for county operations.
The report includes recommendations to strengthen the county’s internal controls and overall operations.
Efforts are underway in area counties to prepare for inevitable flooding that’s expected in association with heavy rain and snowmelt/ice jams. Doug Reed, Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Director told KJAN News (at 10-a.m.), that the West Nishnabotna River was officially about one-foot above flood stage as of mid-morning today (Wednesday). He said the river is starting to come the back channels or drainage areas into low-lying areas along the river. Communities potentially impacted by flood waters are preparing, and supplies are being distributed for sandbagging operations. An emergency shelter is being readied in-case it’s needed. He says they’re doing everything the can to help minimize the risk once the crest takes place.
Reed said he could not confirm any sandbagging activities were underway at the AHST-W School, and no roads were underwater as of the last report. Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Londo issued a statement late this morning, with regard to flooding. “Shelby County was placed in a flood warning the morning of March 13th, 2019 until 6:30 PM the same day. Currently we are seeing rising river levels throughout the county. Shelby County Emergency Management is working with local authorities to mitigate the risk. We recommend members of the public to be cautious of low-lying areas and not to drive across flooded roads.”
In Cass County, Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon said all roads are currently open, nut that wasn’t the case earlier this morning. He said Quimby Road off of Highway 48 north of Griswold, was closed due to ice being deposited on the roadway from area waterways. The last reading on the East Nishanbotna was 12.8-feet, which was well below the 19-foot flood stage, where minor flooding takes place. However, rain is imminent. That, and the snow melt is worth keeping an eye on, he said.
Preparations are also underway in Montgomery County.
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