Days of heavy rains have caused widespread flooding, prompting evacuations and rescue efforts in Iowa and South Dakota, and put more than 1 million people in the upper Midwest under flood warnings early Sunday.
Flood warnings were issued for parts of rivers in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Some of the warnings were expected to be lifted later Sunday, while others remained in effect until further notice. A flood warning means flooding is imminent or has already occurred.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said water levels in several rivers in her state have surpassed the record set by a 1993 flood that killed 50 people in the Midwest. The governor declared a disaster for 21 counties on Saturday and called the flooding “catastrophic” on social media.
In South Dakota, torrential rain fell over three days in central and eastern parts of the state, with up to 18 inches of rain falling in some areas.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem told reporters on Saturday that the worst flooding in the state is expected to happen Monday and Tuesday as water flows downstream and into rivers. Water levels in the Big Sioux River, one of the state's main waterways, are expected to reach record levels, she added.
Other parts of the US are experiencing a heatwave that has caused a surge in heat illnesses in some areas over the past week, with temperature records being broken in places like Dulles, Virginia, and Baltimore. Dangerously hot conditions are expected through Sunday night in parts of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, according to the National Weather Service.
Flooding in the Midwest has wreaked havoc in Iowa's Rock Valley, where the Rock River rose to record levels early Saturday, prompting city officials to issue emergency evacuations for many of the city's 4,000 residents. Local officials said on social media that the city's wells had been contaminated by floodwaters and that it had no clean water supply.
Sioux City Fire Rescue, which helped evacuate residents from Rock Valley, said on social media that emergency teams with boats had rescued many people and animals trapped in floodwaters in the city. In neighboring Nebraska, Gov. Jim Pillen said in a statement that he had authorized the deployment of military helicopters to assist with search and rescue efforts.
Some residents of Hawarden, Iowa, about 15 miles southwest of Rock Valley, population about 2,000, also were evacuated, city officials said on social media.
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, emergency crews rescued nine people from floodwaters, city emergency manager Regan Smith said at a news conference Saturday. Rescuers responded to five stranded drivers, 30 submerged and disabled vehicles, 10 water-related calls and 75 traffic accidents, she added.