Rain falls and rivers rise

MT. PLEASANT — Conversation about flooding and the flood plain in Henry County popped up during the monthly Department Head meeting with Henry County Board of Supervisors Wednesday morning following significant amounts of rainfall in May and June.

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As Henry County Conservation Director Caleb Waters gave a monthly update to the Board of Supervisors, he stated the his department is currently prepping for summer camps and busy weeks with the summer holidays. Those plans may, however, be disrupted due to recent rainfall across Southeast Iowa.

“Within the last two hours the river has risen at least a foot,” Waters told the supervisors Wednesday morning, July 3.

Unfortunately, Waters could not speculate much about what the river will do as more rainfall is expected in the coming week and the river gauges the department has used have not been very accurate.

Waters stated that the rising river could make for an interesting holiday weekend and could even potentially impact the Project AWARE event scheduled to clean up the Skunk River next week.

Henry County Planning and Zoning Director Joe Buffington brought up flooding specifically as it related to the floodplain. Buffington reminded the supervisors, department heads, and public to obtain permits for work in the flood plain.

“Any work in a floodplain needs a flood plain permit, or at least an inquiry into what they're doing even excavation with dirt work,” Buffington said. “Things that can affect the water flow may need a permit, so it’s best to check ahead of time.”

According to Buffington, campers normally located in the floodplain also need to be mobile.

“They have to have their wheels on, they can’t be nailed to a deck or anything,” he said. “They have to be able to move them out in case of a flood.”

According to Henry County Veterans Affairs Director Roger Pittsenbarger, the totality of all the storms passing through has caused issues for multiple cemeteries. The Veterans Affairs Office gave out 52 markers and flags to decorate graves in response to some of the storm damage.

“The weather hasn’t been kind at all to the cemeteries and the markers and flags,” Pittsenbarger told the supervisors.

All these reports came in to the supervisors following yet another set of storms Tuesday, July 2 into Wednesday July 3. With these storms the National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood warning for many parts of Southeast Iowa.

Henry County Sheriff’s Office took notice of such flooding in Olds as water began to cover some roadways. According to the Sheriff’s Office, six inches of water is enough to reach the bottom of most passenger cars and could result in a loss of control or possible stalling. A foot of water is enough to cause many vehicles to float.

“Please find an alternate route if you come across water over the roadway,” the Sheriff’s Office advised.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com