The U-S Army Corps of Engineers says more Missouri River flooding can be expected in southwest Iowa next spring.
The Missouri River dropped below flood stage of 18 feet on Sunday for the first time since last March, but the Corps of Engineers is predicting more high water next spring.
“Yes, the Missouri River went below flood stage yesterday (Sunday), however, it’s still in the action stage, and it is expected to go back up over 18 feet,” Fremont County Emergency Management Director said Mike Crecelius told WHO-TV 13
Crecelius says that a number of residents are still unable to go back to their homes because of the flood waters. In other cases the water is finally down enough to where people can return to begin the cleanup process.
“We’ve got some people who haven’t got back into their houses yet at all,” said Crecelius. We’ve got some that the water is down around their houses enough that they can get back into them and they are just starting the cleanup process.”
A handful of people are living in campers parked in someone’s driveway. Roads to two towns are closed.
“The county road at McPaul is closed because there is water running across it,” Crecelius told WHO-TV 13. There’s maybe two feet of water on that road there, the road going into Bartlett from the east because part of the road was undermined and it collapsed.”
Some roads are closed, but people often try to drive them anyway. Road closed signs get knocked down. Still, Crecelius is warning people not to be complacent.
“We need to be ready because it’s not going to be an 'if,' it's going to be 'when' this happens again," he said.