“The heavy rain caused the soil to become saturated, which reduces cohesion and shear strength,” said Webster County Engineer Jamie Johll. “When the shear strength reached a certain point, the soil started to slough.”

330th Street, east of Vasse Avenue, has been reduced to one lane of traffic with portable traffic signals in place until repairs can be made.

According to Johll, the embankment will be repaired as soon as possible. He anticipates adding subdrains or riprap to mitigate future issues, as well as to hire Fort Dodge Asphalt to come in to repair the pavement.

Johll added that the Webster County Roads Department is working to repair minor rutting and washouts throughout the county caused by Sunday’s heavy rains.

“My guys started road repairs early this morning,” Johll said Monday. “I think we are aware of all of the problem areas, however we have 1,174 miles of road in Webster County, so there may be some that we haven’t found yet.”

If damaged areas are seen, Johll asks that they be reported to the Webster County Engineer’s Office at 515-576-3281.