Nearly 400 people had to be rescued as flood waters rushed into Spencer this weekend and search crews have not been able to find a motorist whose car was found in floodwaters.
Spencer Fire Chief Jesse Coulson says his department launched two rescue teams — one on the north side of the river that cuts through the city and one on the south side of Spencer, then volunteers with boats joined the effort to rescue 383 people.
“We had two rescued by the Air National Guard off of a vehicle top out of the river,” Coulson says.
The driver of a submerged vehicle in Spencer has not been found. “Otherwise, every rescue and all our searching that has been reported to us has been accounted for,” he says.
An engineer who’s a frequent consultant for the City of Spencer estimates the rest on the Little Sioux River topped 22 feet. The previous high water mark was two feet lower from a 1953 flood. Hundreds of Spencer homes have flood damage. About 400 Spencer residents sought refuge in shelters this weekend.
(By George Bower, KICD, Spencer)