BECAUSE OF HEAVY RAIN IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA AND UPPER NORTHWEST IOWA, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WARNING FOR SEVERAL RIVERS IN SOUTH DAKOTA AND IOWA.FROM NOW UNTIL MONDAY MORNING.
THAT INCLUDES THE FLOYD RIVER IN PLYMOUTH COUNTY AFFECTING LE MARS AND MERRILL, THE WEST BRANCH OF THE FLOYD RIVER NEAR STRUBLE AFFECTING PLYMOUTH AND SIOUX COUNTIES, THE LITTLE SIOUX RIVER NEAR CORRECTIONVILLE AFFECTING WOODBURY, IDA AND CHEROKEE COUNTIES IN IOWA.
IN SOUTH DAKOTA, THE WARNING INCLUDES THE JAMES RIVER ABOVE YANKTON AND THE VERMILLION RIVER NEAR VERMILLION AFFECTING CLAY COUNTY.
MORNING OBSERVATIONS ON THE ROCK AND BIG SIOUX RIVERS SHOW MAJOR FLOODING AT ROCK RAPIDS, AND MINOR FLOODING AT ROCK VALLEY AND HAWARDEN.
FORECASTS PREDICT MAJOR FLOODING FROM ROCK RAPIDS TO AKRON.
THE BIG SIOUX AT AKRON IS PREDICTED TO CREST AT 22 FEET ON MONDAY. THAT’S SIX INCHES ABOVE FLOOD STAGE.
ALONG THE FLOYD RIVER, MINOR FLOODING WAS OCCURING TODAY AT SHELDON. THE FORECAST SAYS MODERATE FLOODING IS EXPECTED AT SHELDON, AND MINOR FLOODING AT ALTON.
A FACEBOOK POST THIS MORNING FROM AKRON FIRE DEPARTMENT INDICATES THEY ARE GOING TO FILL SANDBAGS TODAY IN ANTICIPATION OF FLOODING ALONG THE BIG SIOUX RIVER.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 11 P.M. FRIDAY NIGHT.
KSCJ/KLEM FILE PHOTO
