Flood, July 21-22, 2017
Clayton county, Iowa
Clayton County Flood, July 21-22, 2017
Clayton County, Iowa could not catch a break in July of 2017. From July 11-12, over 10 inches of rain fell in the county. On July 19 a week later, the winds of a severe storm knocked over trees and power lines and unleashed an EF1 tornado into McGregor.
Just two days later, another bout of heavy rain poured into the already saturated river and surrounding watershed, dousing Clayton with over 7 inches of water in less than 24 hours. The swollen rivers and soaked ground could not take in any more moisture.
The flash floods that followed did over $40 million dollars of damage within Iowa. Clayton was the county hit the hardest, reporting about $12 million in damage to crops and property.
Over a dozen roads closed overnight during the floods, including a large stretch of Highway 52, while emergency teams were brought in to clear out fallen rocks and mud, and to perform rescue operations in the cities of Garber and Guttenberg.
Some unpaved roads simply washed away.
Where the Turkey River meets the Volga River, water rose 16 feet. Flood crests of over 23 feet were recorded in Garber.
Several areas in the Volga River watershed were evacuated as rivers and creeks, including the Little Maquoketa River and Miner’s Creek rose out of their banks. Campers near Miner’s Creek were forced to seek higher ground overnight, officials unable to reach them.
Residents told news reporters that this flood was the worst they had experienced during their time in Clayton. Locals and businesses reported missing cattle, torn up farming equipment, lost inventory, and over 2 feet of muddy water inside buildings. Lyle Sargent told the Guttenberg Press that the rain destroyed a 30-ft retaining wall on his property near Miner’s Creek and noted that the flood was the highest he had seen since coming to Clayton County in 1970.
President Trump made a Presidential Disaster Declaration for seven Iowa counties following the July 19 tornado and the floods the night of July 21. The long-term federal recovery plan included funding for emergency work, as well as funding for natural hazard mitigation within the entire state to reduce the negative impacts of future floods and other extreme weather events.
Sources: on-line: The Office of Governor Kim Reynolds. “Pres. Trump issues disaster declaration for 7 Iowa Counties.” Iowa Emergency Management Association, 28 Aug. 2017. Web. 3/2018; “Storm Events Database-Event Details.” National Centers for Environmental Information, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Web. 3/2018; Tomkins, Shelia. “More torrential rain, flooding hit southern Clayton County.” Guttenberg Press, 26 Jul. 2017. Web. 3/2018; “Update: Emergency crews respond to flooding in Guttenberg.” KCRG-TV9, 22 Jul. 2017. Web. 3/2018.