The Jones County town of Monticello may have been hit harder than any area in Thursday’s flash flooding across eastern Iowa. Highway 151 between Monticello and Anamos was blocked by rushing waters and city administrator Doug Herman says hundreds of homeowners have wet basements.
“I bet we have at least 200 to 250 homes that had water coming up through basement floor drains, through basement bathrooms, some through windows,” Herman said. More than a dozen businesses in town were also damaged.
“A number of businesses that have been flooded a number of other times unfortunately,” Herman said. “Our last big flood event in ’02…they actually took on more water this time.” Road crews are repairing highway and street damage in the Monticello area today caused by gushing flash flood waters.
Many eastern Iowa communities are reporting rain accumulations this week between 5 and 10 inches. Shellsburg, located west of Cedar Rapids, received nearly 13 inches of rain