(Scroll down the page for road closures due to flooding)
The Red Cross is providing FREE flood clean up kits for ALL Lyon County residents at the George Fire Department
Time: 1:00 – 4:30, or until they are gone.There are 70 kits available and it’s one per household.
The George Water Supply is recommending to use bottled water or an alternative source for drinking or cooking.DO NOT GIVE THE WATER TO INFANTS UNDER 6 MONTHS OLD OR USE IT TO MAKE INFANT FORMULA.The George Water Supply has experienced flooding in the water plant and cannot disinfect. Due to the higher level of nitrate in the source water, and the potential for bacterial contamination, it is being recommended that bottled water or an alternative source be used for drinking and cooking. DO NOT GIVE THE WATER TO INFANTS.Infants below the age of six months who drink water or formula made with the water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome. Blue baby syndrome is indicated by blueness of the skin. Symptoms in infants can develop rapidly, with health deteriorating over a period of days. If symptoms occur, seek medical attention immediately. Water, juice, and formula for children
under six months of ageshould not be prepared with tap water. Bottled water or other water low in nitratesshould be used for infants until further notice.DO NOT BOIL THE WATER.Boiling, freezing, filtering, or letting water stand does not reduce the nitrate level. Excessive boiling can make the nitrates more concentrated, because nitrates remain behind when the water evaporates. For more information, please contact Todd Klein, George Water Superintendent at 712-578-1221. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.When water service is restored, there may be air in your water piping and the water may be discolored. It is recommended to run the first water from a faucet that does not have an aerator screen, such as a bathtub or hose bib. Open the faucet slowly to allow the air to escape. Once the water is flowing, allow the faucet to run until it is clear. The water may be cloudy at first due to air in the water or particles that dislodged as the pipes filled with water. This should clear fairly quickly. If water is cloudy or colored throughout the house and it does not clear after allowing the water to run for several minutes, use an alternative source such as bottled water and contact the person listed above.When the system resumes normal operations, bacteria samples will be collected. This advisory is a precaution until bacterial sample results are available. You will be notified when the results are available and the advisory is lifted.The system is working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to resolve the situation.Residents of George, IA can come to the Fire Department in George to get a case of water for their family.
Distribution Sizes
- 24 Bottles – For Singles & Couples
- 36/40 Bottles – Family 3+
- 1-Gallon – Infants & Family 6+ **On It’s Way**
Please check the George Facebook or call the George city office (712)475-3612 for more information. Thank-You.
The Community Foundation of Lyon County has activated the Disaster Recovery Fund to support recovery efforts for those impacted by the flooding in Lyon County. Donations are now being accepted.The Disaster Recovery Fund aims to provide financial resources to address short, intermediate, and long-term recovery needs in the Lyon County area. The fund will support local organizations and non-profits that are directly assisting individuals and families affected by the flooding.Contributions to the Disaster Recovery Fund can be made online at www.siouxlandcommunityfoundation.org/affiliate/community-foundation-of-lyon-count, delivered to any Peoples’ Bank location, or mailed to the Community Foundation of Lyon County c/o Siouxland Community Foundation, 4425 Singing Hull Blvd. STE 100, Sioux City, IA, 51106. The Community Foundation of Lyon County is an affiliate fund of the Siouxland Community Foundation.Community Donations will enable non-proft 501 (c)(3) organizations and public agencies (including local city or county government unitys, and faith-based organizations) that meet grant criteria to apply for grants to support relief and recovery efforts. Applications will be accepted and processed on a rolling basis until further notice. Grants will be awarded based on available resources. The grant application will be available under “Lyon County” at https://siouxlandcommunityfoundation.org/grants
TheAdvisory Committee of the Community Foundation of Lyon County includes:
Jennifer Wippert (County-at-Large), Chair
Jen Smit (County-at-Large), Disaster Recovery Fund Lead
Becca Bixler (Inwood, IA) Phyllis Borer (Little Rock, IA)
Ned Hodgson (Larchwood, IA) Jeff Hoogeveen (Lester, IA)
Hoogeveen (Lester, IA)
Kristi Landis (George, IA) Mark Nagel (Alvord, IA)
Katie Popkes (Rock Rapids, IA)
For more information about the Community Foundation of Lyon County Disaster Recovery Fund, please contact 712-470-6508 or visit www.lyonedia.com.
MidAmerican Gives Saftey Tips For Floods https://kiwaradio.com/news/midamerican-gives-saftey-tips-for-floods/
During flooding, Ashton experienced a main water break. As of right now City crews are unable to find the source. The whole town is under a boil advisory until further notice. The county emergency management will soon have bottled water available.
The Iowa Veterans of Foreign Wars has a disaster relief fund available to veterans directly impacted by the severe weather and flooding. This fund is provided by the National VFW and distributed by the Department of Iowa. It is open to all veterans and veteran’s organizations here in Iowa. Please visit www.vfwia.org and click on the banner for details on how to apply for this disaster relief.
The Sibley Fire Department will be a donation center for flood victims. All donated items can be dropped off at the west door. You can drop off the items this Friday, July 28th, 9 am to noon. Pickup for any items donated for those in need will be on Saturday, July 29th, 9am-Noon.
Flood Recovery Volunteer Tracking for the City of Sheldon:
In all Federally declared disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can reimburse local and state governments for the cost of disaster recovery through a cost-share agreement.
Volunteer hours help communities recover in two ways:
Volunteer work is essential to helping the community recover physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Volunteer hours have a dollar amount attached to them by the Federal government to aid communities in recovering the cost of relief efforts.
Volunteer hours must be documented in an auditable way for hours to count towards the cost-share.
Tracking volunteer hours is simple. You will need to document:
· Volunteer’s Name – first and last
· Location of Volunteer Work – the specific address of the service site
· Hours Worked – a sign-in time and a sign-out time
· Type of Work – a brief description, i.e.:
o “Donations Management” for loading, unloading and sorting donations
o “Shelter Management” for assisting shelter residents or staff
o “Mass Feeding” for cooking or serving food to shelter residents or volunteers
o “Debris Removal” for clearing debris, cleaning up yards, and clearing streets.
It is also beneficial to note if the volunteer used any equipment, since some types of equipment, such as chainsaws or generators, also have reimbursable dollar amounts attached.
The easiest way to document volunteer hours is to use a sign-in sheet at a central volunteer check-in location.
It is a good idea to have volunteers fill out an intake and waiver prior to service. This should not deter volunteerism! Most volunteers will willingly fill out a short form. The benefit of using an intake and waiver system is two-fold:
1) The intake helps FEMA confirm the volunteer as a unique individual in the event of an audit, and
2) The waiver helps protect your agency from possible liability in the event of injury or damage caused in the course of volunteer activities.
Be aware, the more information you can gather about your volunteers, the more likely your data will stand the test of audit. The less you have, the less likely your data will lead to reimbursem*nt. Please try to use intake forms and waivers whenever possible. See the attached intake and waiver for an example of forms that have been used in the past.
Once the system is in place, it is easy to maintain with just a couple of volunteers to assist with the paperwork.
A spreadsheet can be used to help track the information you are collecting in your physical forms. Using a spreadsheet can help you ensure you are not duplicating intakes or missing waivers. However, while a database is useful to help calculate volunteer hours for your own organization’s purposes, it is not absolutely necessary for the FEMA cost-share reimbursem*nt.
O’Brien County EMA Situation Update From Jared Johnson
As of this morning, we have over 400 damage report submissions in the Iowa Damage
Reporting tool. Thank you for helping share this information with
community members. https://report-ia-state.orioncentral.com/
Last night, I created a video to help share some updates. You may watch the
video by using the following link: (This video is also located on the
O’Brien County EMA Facebook page)
– In the video, I provide some information over hydrostatic pressure, contractors
(scams), cleaning resources, assistance programs, etc.
At this point in time, I have heard no updates over FEMA assistance. The
only program activated for O’Brien County residents is the Iowa Individual
Disaster Assistance Grant program. Additional resource information
has been added to the O’Brien County Recovery tab on the O’Brien County EMA
website. www.obrienema.org
The State of Iowa is working on getting additional counties
added. If I receive any updates, I will send out the updates as soon as I
can.
Homes throughout O’Brien County are seeing increased issues from hydrostatic pressure
(basem*nt walls bowing in, foundations cracking or shifting). If you know
someone that has foundation damages from the June 21st severe
weather event, please let me know (if you have not done so already). I
can go into their damage report and update their damage information to include
the foundation issues. I am guessing that there are many more with
foundation issues but they may not be able to see the issues due to having a
finished basem*nt with (drywall or other coverings on the wall.)
If people are having issues with mold, I recommend that they research other
cleaning products online. Eight Days of Hope in Sheldon is using a
product called Shockwave. I don’t know much about this product, but it is
something that they are using to help disinfect.
We may start to see scam/fraud companies come into this area. I am
encouraging individuals to reach out to local contractors from the NW Iowa or
neighboring state area. Contractors are extremely busy, it may take a
while before a contractor is able to come and assist.
Love Inc. in Sheldon has a furniture ministry that is available for use (there is a
limited supply of furniture). If you know someone in need of furniture,
this may be an option. If you know someone that would like to donate
items, please have them call Love Inc. to identify what items are needed at
this time.
Please reach out if you have any questions. Happy 4th of July!
The Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley school district is requesting donations for the flood cleanup volunteers. They have asked for donations of work boots and work gloves to help prevent injuries to those helping with the cleanup. All items can be dropped off at the Boyden-Hull High School and distributed throoughout our communities. Check out the City of Rock Valley website for more information.
The George street dance that was to be held tomorrow July 4th, has been moved to Saturday July 6th.
The City of Sheldon flood cleanup has begun. The City of Sheldon wants to remind everyone that this is the beginning and not the end. The City of Sheldon also wants residents to remember that this is not a general cleanup day. Please respect this service by putting out only flood damaged items. ID Excavating will pick up areas in blue and Boer and Sons will pick up areas in red. Please do not panic if you see the truck go by and you missed it. Visit https//sheldoniowa.gov/news/flood-cleanup for more information. The City of Sheldon does note that they will not be repairing lawns, so please place your items on a hard surface if at all possible.
The Red Cross is handing out cleaning supplies to victims of the flooding here in Sheldon and the surrounding communities. Their truck is parked on 9th Street across from the KIWA radio station and City Hall, now until 4 pm, or until we run out of supplies.If you would like to make a monetary donation, please visit redcross.org. Donations can be made specifically for this area.
The Red Cross is handing out cleaning supplies to victims of the flooding here in Sheldon and the surrounding communities. Their truck is parked on 9th Street across from the KIWA radio station and City Hall, now until 3 pm, or until we run out of supplies.If you would like to make a monetary donation, please visit redcross.org. Donations can be made specifically for this area.
The Patriotic Rosary that was to be held at the Ashton Wayside Park (aka Freedom Rock Park) has been postponed to Saturday, July 6 at 9:00 a.m. All are welcome. The City of Ashton will have Walking Tacos at 5:30 p.m. at the Snack Shack on Friday night and Fireworks sponsored by the Ashton Firemen on Sunday night.
The Northwest Iowa Landfill near Sheldon will open at 6:30 a.m. each morning until further notice.The Sheldon Landfill hours are also being extended until further notice.
Northwest Iowa Community College campus and LLRC is closed.
At this time RIDES Offices will remain CLOSED and BUSES WILL NOT RUN in any of their nine-county service area. We are hoping to be back to regular service on MONDAY, JULY 1, 2024. RIDES will be closed on JULY 4TH in observance of the Independence Day holiday.
Reformation Gospel Ministries has postponed the Evangelism Training Seminar at the Heritage Reformed Congregation in Hull this Friday and Saturday, due to the flooding in NW Iowa and the cleanup efforts that are being pursued at this time. We are looking at holding it in either September or October. Will inform you as soon as possible of the new date – the location will remain the same, just different dates for the seminar.
Sanford Sheldon is open for anyone needing a shelter.
The City of Sheldon has announced they have a limited supply of N95 masks from O’Brien County Emergency Management. Please stop by the City Clerk’s Office from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. between Monday-Friday. No charge, but only take what you need.
The dumpsters on the East side of Sheldon City Park will stay there until Wednesday, July 10, which is the date for the
city’s next council meeting. Please use them only for flood items. They have been emptied on an average of three times a day since they were placed. The City of Sheldon thanks everyone for using the dumpsters as it has reduced tax
payer costs for curbside pickup.
Sheldon Softball will be hosting Hinton in a varsity only contest on July 8th starting at 6:00 PM at Orab Field. This is an addition from the initial schedule.
Road Closures due to flooding:
290th Street from Wilson Ave. to Yew Ave. due to culvert Repair
300th Street from Nest AVe. to Highway 60 due to bridge repair
300th Street from Redwood Ave. to Roosevelt Ave. due to bridge repair
390th Street from Polk Ave. to Redwing Ave. due to bridge repair
400th Street from Highway 59 to Sorrel Ave. due to bridge repair
400th Street (B40) from Warbler Ave. to Yellow Ave. due to bridge repair
420th Street from Yellow Ave. to White Ave. due to bridge repair
430th Street from White Ave. to Yellow Ave. due to bridge repair
470th Street from Oriole Ave. to Olive Ave. due to culvert repair
470th Street from Redwing Ave. to Redwood Ave due to bridge repair
Oak Hill Ave. (L36) from 280th Street to 300th Street due to bridge repair
Oriole Ave. from 470th Street to 480th Street due to culvert repair
Polk Ave. from 500th Streeet to 510th Street due to a bridge repair
Vine Ave. (M12) from 410th Street to 430th Street due to a paving project
White Ave. from 390th Street to 400th Street due to a bridge repair
