Flooding, train derailment impacting northwest Iowa

ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa (Dakota News Now) – Flooding hasn’t been just an issue in South Dakota. In northwest Iowa, families and communities are bracing for rising river levels and flash flooding as the rain continues to fall.

The Island Park Campground in Rock Rapids is hardly recognizable. Brendon Leuthold had stopped by on his way home after work to look at the water from the Rock River, wondering if he would be able to make it home.

“Yep, it did go down a little bit, so it probably would’ve been okay, but it’s definitely something to think about,” Leuthold said. “It’s nice that this is unusual, but it’s not great. I feel bad for the farmers, there’s a lot of damage that’s going to happen from this.”

Lyon County officials weren’t just worried about the flood waters either. A BSNF Railway freight train derailed just south of Alvord, Iowa early Friday morning.

Lyon County Emergency Management told Dakota News Now that nine cars derailed. No hazmat crews were needed, and it’s unknown how long the railroad will be blocked.

Back in Rock Rapids, fearing that the flooding would get worse, a sandbagging station was set up. Many volunteers there had been at it since early Friday morning, waiting for truck after truck full of sand to stop by so they could get back to work.

Flooding is expected to continue in Lyon County and the surrounding area as more rain is expected to come from storms on Friday and Saturday. The Rock River is already in a major flood stage, and could only begin to crest sometime this weekend.

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