(SBA) - With flood waters receding, several roads are beginning to open back up. Around noon, Iowa Department of Transportation officials opened Highway 20 in both directions between Moville and Holstein. Barricades will remain in place at the entry points into Correctionville to keep non-residents from entering the community. For a full list of roads that have opened, please visit the Woodbury County website at iceasb.org/roads/county/woodbury.
In the Riverside area of Sioux City, inspectors are going door to door with MidAmerican Energy to determine if it’s safe to restore power to affected homes. Residents with without electricity may call the Sioux City Inspections Division at 712-224-5216 to set up an inspection and have power restored. Anyone who needs gas restored to their home should contact MidAmerican Energy.
While we understand the urgency that residents have to remove water from their home, we want to encourage them to use extreme caution when doing so. Removing all the water at once may cause serious structural damage to the house. Draining the water too fast could cause the collapse of the cellar walls, floors, and foundation. The water must be drained slowly to equalize pressure on both sides of the wall.
Residents are encouraged to follow these procedures when pumping basements to avoid serious damage, collapse, or injury to occupants:
• Begin pumping when floodwaters are no longer covering the ground outside.
• Pump out 1 foot of water. Mark the water level and wait overnight.
• Check the water level the next day. If the level went back up (covered your mark) it is still too early to drain your basement.
• Wait 24 hours and then pump the water down 1 foot again. Check the level the next day.
• When the water in the basement stops returning to your mark, pump out two to 3 feet and wait overnight.
• Repeat daily until all the water is out of the basement. It is understandable that people are anxious to return home and begin the cleanup, but we urge caution, as the expense of rebuilding collapsed walls could be more than the cost of cleanup from the flood.
Public health officials are urging residents to stay out of the flood waters. Prolonged exposure could cause flu-like symptoms. Anyone who is cleaning their homes after the water has receded are encouraged to wash their hands thoroughly. For information on safely cleaning your home, visit siouxlanddistricthealth.org and click on the Flooding Resources banner at the top.
It is vital that residents who have experienced water damage report it to the Iowa State Office of Emergency Services at https://report-ia-state.orioncentral.com. Any flood water damage outside the voluntary evacuation area, even to basements, should be reported. The appropriate amount of resources sent to our area will be determined by the data provided by residents.
The Siouxland Recovery Fund has been activated to aid in recovery efforts for those impacted by recent flooding. Donations are currently being accepted online at www.siouxlandrecoveryfund.com, delivered to any Security National Bank location, or mailed to the Siouxland Recovery Fund c/o United Way of Siouxland.
Law enforcement requests the public stay away from all flooded areas throughout the area so crews can continue to assist with recovery and conduct damage assessments.
The City of Sioux City/Woodbury County Emergency Operations Center will continue to be staffed 24 hours a day to assist local responders and answer questions of the public. The phone number for non-emergency flood information is 712-224-5262.
