Flood Warnings are in effect for more than a dozen counties scattered around central and eastern Iowa as warmer temperatures continue to melt ice and snow. National Weather Service Meteorologist Steve Teachout says a Flash Flooding Warning is also posted for the Iowa River in Marshall County.
Teachout says there’s a lot of ice accumulating downstream on the Iowa River and it’s caused water to back up onto U.S. Highway 330. John Wilson, with the Iowa Department of Transportation, says they’ve closed Highway 330 near Albion.
"We’ve got water over the road north of the Iowa River Bridge," Wilson said. The DOT and law enforcement are asking motorists to find alternate routes. There’s no indication when the road might reopen. Teachout says, because the area had so much snow, northeast Iowa has the greatest potential for flooding over the coming days.
He says coops report two to five inches of snow still on the ground in parts of northeast Iowa. "So, there’s some snow yet that needs to be melted and there’s some ice on some local rivers and streams that will begin to break up and will continue through the weekend," Teachout said. The National Weather Service and local agencies are paying particular attention to the Iowa River and several others.
Teachout says the Shell Rock, Cedar and Winnebago Rivers are among those being monitored for potential flooding. Teachout says motorists should never attempt to drive over a flooded road and asks they report any water-covered roadway to local law enforcement.