Flooding Worsens in Iowa, Wis., Minn. as Storms Continue Across Midwest

Widespread flooding continued this week across northern and central Iowa as thunderstorms and strong winds destroyed buildings, cut off power and left roads and homes underwater.

Northern Iowa, already flooded from storms over the previous two days, received another six inches of rain by late Tuesday night.

Winds up to 80 mph hit the town of Plover in northern Iowa on Tuesday night, destroying barns, bins and other property, Forster said. No injuries have been reported.

Forster said his agency was investigating whether it was a tornado.

More than half of Cherokee in northwest Iowa was without electricity for part of Tuesday night after wires from a water tower fell on power lines. In other parts of town, water was seeping into homes through windows, prompting city crews to offer pumps to the most affected areas.

Similar scenes have occurred across the region since Sunday, when heavy rains first began falling. Between 6 and 10 inches of rain have fallen in some areas.

Minnesota, Wisconsin
Across the border in southeastern Minnesota, weekend flooding killed at least seven people, damaged and destroyed thousands of homes and caused an untold amount of damage.

In southwest Wisconsin, thunderstorms swelled rivers and almost instantly turned low-lying areas into swamps. Emergency workers frantically evacuated hundreds of people in Sunday’s wee hours as waters rose.

“It’s heart-wrenching, man,” said Deb Holtz, 48, of Gays Mills, Wis., who found the furniture shop she runs with her husband coated with mud. “Makes me want to cry.”

President Bush said Tuesday that Minnesota would get some help. It was not immediately clear Tuesday whether Iowa would seek federal aid.