Dakota: Flooding in South Dakota has led to significant destruction, including the collapse of a key bridge and widespread damage to homes and infrastructure, Governor Kristi Noem said on Monday (June 24). According to officials, at least two people were killed. "We did see some cresting on the Big Sioux River overnight in case we needed any reminder of the destructive nature of water, we are seeing it in real-time today," Noem added.
Governor Noem warned of the prolonged impact the flooding will have on the region. The collapse of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Bridge, a crucial link for transporting commodities, will have significant repercussions for many months.
More storms are possible in parts of the deluged Midwest, where flooding after days of heavy rains has killed at least two people, sent a river surging around a dam and forced evacuations and rescues. Severe storms were forecast for Tuesday afternoon and evening with large hail, damaging winds and even a brief tornado or two in parts of western Iowa and eastern Nebraska, according to the National Weather Service. Showers and storms are also possible in parts of South Dakota and Minnesota, the agency said.
VIDEO: Flooding in South Dakota causes bridge collapse and widespread damage
Rain and excessive heat warning
Flooding in those states has also come during a vast and stubborn heat wave. Some communities hit by flooding were under an excessive heat warning Monday with temperatures approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). Dangerous hot, muggy weather was expected again Tuesday around the Omaha area. More than 3 million people live in areas touched by flooding, from Omaha, Nebraska, to St. Paul, Minnesota. Storms dumped huge amounts of rain from Thursday through Saturday, with as much as 18 inches (46 centimetres) falling south of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, according to the National Weather Service.
Places that didn’t get as much rain had to contend with the extra water moving downstream. Many streams, especially with additional rainfall, may not crest until later this week as the floodwaters slowly drain down a web of rivers to the Missouri and Mississippi. The Missouri will crest at Omaha on Thursday, said Kevin Low, a weather service hydrologist. On Saturday, an Illinois man died while trying to drive around a barricade in Spencer, Iowa, Sioux City’s KTIV-TV reported Monday. The Little Sioux River swept his truck away, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said. Officials recovered his body Monday.
"I’ve never had to evacuate my house"
At least one person died in South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem said without providing details. “I’ve never had to evacuate my house,” Hank Howley, a 71-year-old North Sioux City, South Dakota, resident said as she joined others on a levee of the swollen Big Sioux River, where a railroad bridge collapsed a day earlier. She did not have to evacuate in recent days either but said: “We’re on the highest spot in town. But what good is that when the rest of the town is flooded? It makes me nervous.”
The bridge connected North Sioux City, South Dakota, with Sioux City, Iowa, and fell into the Big Sioux River around 11 p.m. Sunday, officials said. Images on local media showed a large span of the steel bridge partially underwater as floodwaters rushed over it. There were no reports of injuries from the collapse. The bridge’s owner, BNSF Railway, had stopped operating it as a precaution during the flooding, spokesperson Kendall Sloan said. The railroad said the bridge was used by only a few trains per day and did not expect rerouting to have a significant impact.
Minnesota dam on the verge of collapse
The Rapidan Dam, in south-central Minnesota, is in "imminent failure," according to the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office which has notified local residents of the possible danger. Aerials filmed on Monday (24 June) showed the dam on the verge of collapse. The dam, which is 91.6 miles southwest of Minneapolis (147.4 km), is at risk because of debris that has accumulated along the Blue Earth River after days of rising water levels. Authorities have not issued mandatory evacuation orders but some residents told The Mankota Free Press that the sheriff's office called them at 3 a.m. on Monday (June 24) to warn them of the rising water.
The Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office says they do not know if the dam will totally fail or hold up, but they have notified residents who live downstream of the dam and local regulatory agencies.
The Sheriff's Office said they are aware of power outages and are monitoring several local bridges in case they need to be closed because of moving debris.
(With inputs from agencies)
