Too much water
River rises in Webster County, but FD gets the full doseBy HANS MADSEN, Messenger staff writer
Article Photos
Fact Box
Red Cross opens shelter in FD for flood victims
The Brushy Creek Area Chapter of the American Red Cross has set up an emergency shelter at Fort Dodge Senior High, 819 North 25th St., for people evacuated from their homes due to flooding along the Des Moines River.
Shelter will be provided for anyone living in the Breen, Riverdale or Scenic Drive additions who are in need of a place to go.
The shelter will be staffed overnight and will provide sleeping accommodations and meals.
MidAmerican Energy offers flooding safety tips
MidAmerican Energy Co. reminds customers that flooding can create electric and natural gas hazards. Customers should take steps to ensure their safety.
Customers should call to have services temporarily disconnected if their electric or gas meter is threatened by flooding. During flooding, MidAmerican will temporarily disconnect services if:
a customer requests to have service disconnected,
MidAmerican determines a situation is hazardous if service is not disconnected and
local disaster or city officials request disconnection of services in an impacted area.
Customers with questions should call MidAmerican toll free at (888) 427-5632.
As part of its ongoing safety program, MidAmerican offers the following guidelines:
Before the flood
If there is no water in your basement and you have time, unplug as many appliances as you can. If possible, move them to a higher level.
Do not touch or attempt to unplug or disconnect an electrical appliance if the floor is damp or if you are standing in water.
If you think the water might rise high enough to cover electrical outlets, switch off the circuit breakers at the main electrical box. Be sure water is not covering outlets before entering the basement.
If it appears the water level may reach the main electrical box or your electric or gas meters, call MidAmerican immediately so that services can be shut off completely.
After the flood
If you smell natural gas, do not enter the building. Call MidAmerican immediately at (888) 427-5632.
Once flood waters recede, call MidAmerican to restore your service. There are no charges for turning off and turning on service because of flooding.
If your electricity or natural gas was temporarily disconnected because of flooding, do not attempt to restore these services yourself.
City, county or state inspections may be required before gas and electric service can be restored in homes or businesses affected by flooding. Inspectors will notify MidAmerican when it is safe to restore service to a home or business.
Building codes or manufacturer's requirements may require natural gas appliance controls and valves to be replaced if they were flooded. Customers should ask inspectors or appliance dealers to determine if their appliances can be placed back into service. After the inspection is complete, call MidAmerican.
If your home was flooded, call a professional electrician to examine your electrical wiring and appliances. Do not turn on any lights, appliances or other electrical equipment until an electrician has checked your home for short circuits.
Thoroughly clean and dry all electrical cords and appliances before using them.
There may be scams associated with flood relief efforts. If you are suspicious of any activity, call local law enforcement authorities.
MidAmerican Energy Co., Iowa's largest energy company, provides electric service to 725,000 customers and natural gas service to 707,000 customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota. It is headquartered in Des Moines. Information about MidAmerican is available at www.midamericanenergy.com
Ian Bartholomew has a collection of framed photographs hanging on his living room wall.
They are pictures of flood waters and ice chunks in his backyard at 2189 160th St. from years past.
As he looked at them Saturday afternoon - in a home without electricity or gas service - his shoes made a sloppy wet noise in the river water-saturated carpet.
"The house is shot," he said.
Bartholomew said the 10 inches of water that invaded when an ice dam on the Des Moines River backed the river up has soaked most of the things in the home - carpet, furniture, tools, clothing - even a dresser that was an anniversary gift to his wife.
He found a teapot sitting on the floor full of muddy water. He dumped it down the sink.
"This is a disaster," he said. "They're going to have to cut the drywall off 4 feet high."
His home was one of several on the street that sustained damage from the water which rose and receded rapidly.
Rick Estlund and his wife Jenny live across the street.
They were busy helping out their neighbors, providing hot food and help with removing soaked items and hauling ruined things away.
"That's what we do down here," Jenny Estlund said.
Milly Netland's home is on slightly higher ground than Bartholomew's; so far, she has escaped having the water and ice rise into her home.
Still, she isn't taking any chances. Family and friends had helped her stack belongings on top of sawhorses, built-in counters and tables. They even put the pool table up on top of car rims.
"Everything is either off the floor or at the neighbors," she said.
She's listening carefully to weather forecasts and keeping her fingers crossed. She plans on living with her possessions up high for the time being.
"I'm leaving it there 'til I know for sure," she said.
Further downstream, along Riverdale Drive, homes near the end of the road were under water along with the road.
Walt and Mary Jane Harris were nervously watching chunks of ice floating down the river that was rapidly creating a new ice dam next to their home. They were the last house that could be reached without wading through the flooded road.
Geysers of water were regularly erupting from several sump pumps trying to keep up in their basement.
"We'll be OK as long as the pumps keep running," Walt Harris said.
Because of the way the home is constructed, they are unable to actually inspect the basement.
If the water level rises further, the Harrises have one thing left to do.
"Get the hell out of here," he said.
Mark and Nancy Siefert own the second to last home on Scenic Drive. Flood waters were rising there on Saturday, as well. A stream of water flowed over part of the road, making getting in and out of the area a hazard.
They have four sump pumps working to keep the basement dry.
"We're holding our own," Nancy Siefert said. "If it gets any higher it will run into the basement."
Tony Jorgensen, Webster County Emergency Management director, has been kept busy keeping up on developments.
"I think I've slept about two hours," he said Saturday.
He said the Brushy Creek Red Cross Chapter has set up a shelter at Fort Dodge Senior High for anyone displaced by the flooding.
The flooding problems along the Des Moines River have mostly been confined to very localized areas, according to Jorgensen.
"Once you're past Scenic Drive we're OK," he said.
One of his big concerns is people driving vehicles through flooded roads.
"Don't drive through the flood water," he said. "It's extremely dangerous."
Many residents along the flooded areas are critical of the decision to leave the floodgates on the hydroelectric dam closed.
Fort Dodge City Manager David Fierke explained there are two reasons for leaving them shut.
"One, it's not a flood control dam," he said. "Second, we are not going to do so because of the danger. Somebody has to go out on the dam to open them."
Even if the gates were opened, it may not help.
"We don't think it has an impact on Scenic and Riverdale," he said. "We don't want to take the chance."
While not a planned event, more water did end up flowing through the dam Saturday afternoon. The second floodgate from the former turbine building broke, possibly from the pressure of the ice behind it. The force twisted it out of shape and left a gaping hole for water to flow through.
Further downstream, in Lehigh, there was little sign of anything amiss Saturday morning.
The river level was over its banks, but appeared to be receding. A canoe tied to a residence was high and dry, and the door sealed against the basement entrance at the Riverside Tap was waiting for a flood that may not arrive.
In Dolliver Memorial State Park, the road had been closed due to water over the surface. Saturday morning, evidence of the water remained: a coating of slick mud on the surface, chunks of ice on the playground and a single overturned picnic table.
Back at Ian Bartholomew's house, cleanup began, photographs of past flooding still hanging on the wall.
Contact Hans Madsen at (515) 573-2141 or hmadsen@messengernews.net
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hybernation
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03-15-10 12:05 AM
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i wonder if people who get water in their basement realize that just by getting the standing water out of their basement it's still not clean,or safe to live in your house because the water gets in your basement walls & can,& prob will sooner or later cause toxic "black mold"
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hybernation
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03-14-10 11:58 PM
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i guess if you live by a river you might as well expect your basement,& yard to flood every time the river rises,&,or we get a lot of rain in a short amount of time.
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dodger38
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03-14-10 7:31 PM
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I dont under stand how the****is not a flood controll dam. Last year the water was going around the left side of the****and they opend a flood gate and the water behind the****went down. PLus why would the call the five gates flood gates if they dont do anything with flood controll. Also I saw three men hard at work braking ice on the****to get to the machine to open one of the flood gates today. I think people should go back to school and learn about the****before they say somthing thats not right.
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