Monday morning’s storm that dumped 4 to 7 inches of rain across western Iowa is causing more trouble for residents of Council Bluffs. Public Information Officer Don Gross says several homes are not livable right now due to collapsed basements. “As of today, seven homes have had basement collapses that have been severe enough that they have had to evacuate their homes,” Gross said.
All of the affected homes are on the west side of Council Bluffs, which was hit the hardest by the flash flooding. The city is also dealing with a collapsed sanitary sewer, which could take up to two weeks to repair.
There is some good news – most of the streets that were closed by the flooding are back open. “There are a few spots that still have a little bit of water on them, but most of the water has receded,” Gross said.
Iowa Senator Tom Harkin toured the flood stricken area of Council Bluffs today. The Council Bluffs recycling center is accepting tree debris free of charge to city residents until further notice.
By: Karla James