Updated 6/23/18 3:58pm
Most people have been allowed back into their homes in Rock Valley, Iowa community after they were evacuated because of flooding.
City spokesman Travis Olson says 12 blocks of the city with between 50 and 70 homes – were evacuated Thursday when the Rock River came out of its banks.
Most had returned by Friday night with the exception being one mobile home park still under water.
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Rock Valley has shut off all its drinking water wells.
City public information officer Travis Olson says the wells were shut down as soon as Rock Valley officials were told of the derailment and oil spill north of them early Friday morning.
Olson says Rock Valley’s water towers also will be drained as a precaution.
In the meantime, the city is getting its water from the nearby Rock Valley Rural Water system, which Olson says is not in danger of being contaminated by the spill.
Olson says the city, with a population of nearly 3,400, will use the rural water supply until testing by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources confirms the safety of the city’s drinking water.
He did not know when that testing would be finalized.
Photo by City of Rock Valley
