In a nutshell, Dakota Dunes South Dakota (just across the state line and really part of the Siouxland area) they are to evacuate starting tomorrow, but I think maybe they've been given a little more time because the town was shut down today so the national guard could work on a dike. Anyway, they are told that their homes will be innundated and they should expect to be gone for 2 months. If the dike works, well, maybe they won't be innundated, but at least part of the town probably will anyway.
Sioux City, our biggest problem is the water well caps and an intake. They are built to 500 year flood standards, but this will be above the 500 year flood. Supposedly they are already sand bagged high enough so that it's ok now. Well, that's what they say. There are several businesses including the Hilton Garden Hotel, a great restaurant, Bev's On the River, an industrial complex and other businesses that will be flooded.. they are building dikes, but.... South of town at Port Neal, there is a huge electric power station, they are building a dike there too. If that doesn't hold...well that could be a mess.
South Sioux City could have major problems. They are building a couple different levees and walls, but are just getting started. People are building sandbag walls around their homes etc. There are signs on street corners asking for volunteers to sandbag
We don't really know what is going to happen. The Army Corps of Engineers innundation maps are based on average rainfall, but this whole year has been anything but average in rainfall. They are going to raise the river to 1098 feet above sea level and the maps are based on sea level in different areas. It's actually quite interesting. Today they changed the numbers for McCook Lake, SD and said that it was going to be worse than expected.
It's the strangest thing. We are all sand bagging, people who live along the river are all packing up and moving all their belongings out of their homes, so there are trucks and vans and semi's everywhere being loaded with furniture. Is it all necessary? Well, we don't know. We are all just waiting for the water to see where it goes
