RESIDENTS OF THE MCCOOK LAKE AREA IN UNION COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE COMMUNICATION FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS OVER THEIR FLOOD RESPONSE.
SEVERAL HOMES AND STREETS THERE WERE DESTROYED SINCE THIS PAST WEEKEND FROM A RUSHING FLOOD OF WATER FROM THE BIG SIOUX RIVER.
THE RESIDENTS AND HOMEOWNERS MET WITH THE UNION COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER JASON WESTCOTT WEDNESDAY, THE FIRST TIME THEY SAY THEY HAD HEARD ANYTHING FROM HIM.
SOME RESIDENTS SAY THEY CANCELED THEIR FLOOD INSURANCE YEARS AGO AFTER OFFICIALS MOVED MCCOOK LAKE HOMES OUT OF THE FLOOD PLAIN.
ALL RESIDENTS AROUND THE AREA ARE BEING TOLD TO LEAVE AFTER ENGINEERS FOUND AIR POCKETS UNDER NORTH SHORE DRIVE AND HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE ENTIRE STREET COLLAPSING.
RELEASES FROM YANKTON’S GAVINS POINT DAM WILL CONTINUE TO DECLINE.
INFLOWS INTO GAVINS POINT, PRIMARILY FROM THE NIOBRARA RIVER, HAVE DROPPED TO NEARLY 10,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND WITH CURRENT RELEASES FROM FORT RANDALL DAM AROUND 1,000 CFS.
PLANNED RELEASES FROM FORT RANDALL DAM WILL AVERAGE 8,600 CFS AS REGULAR POWER GENERATION COMES BACK ONLINE.
CURRENT RELEASES FROM GAVINS POINT WERE AT 20,000 CFS AND WERE LOWERED TO 16,000 CFS THURSDAY.
ALL RELEASES ARE BEING MADE THROUGH THE POWERHOUSE.
JOHN REMUS, CHIEF OF THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN WATER MANAGEMENT DIVISION, SAYS THEY WILL REEVALUATE CONDITIONS ON FRIDAY.
Photo by SD Civil Air Patrol for SD Dept. of Emergency Management
