Thunderstorms reached severe limits last night and into early this morning in northwest Iowa. The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Cherokee, O’Brien, and Dickinson counties in Iowa along with Jackson, Noble, and Rock counties in Minnesota. Most of the storms produced brief heavy rain and some small hail. They formed along a warm front boundary and then lifted northeast into Minnesota. Emmet County emergency manager Terry Reekert says the rain appears to have hung up over Estherville and the west half of Emmett County. Reekert says up to six inches of rain fell in Estherville where water was two-feet deep on some of the city’s streets. He says they had flooded basements, a mudslide in one area, flooded roads and a small bridge blocked by debris. No one’s had to be evacuated. And so far, rivers are staying in their banks. But more rain is in the forecast the next two or three days for that area.
