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Midwest, Plains Flooding Deaths Reach 22 NewsMax.com Wires CAREY, Ohio -- Rivers were still rising Wednesday as hundreds of people waited for their flooded homes and streets to dry out in Ohio, the latest state affected by heavy rain across the Upper Midwest and Plains. In the town of Findlay, seven rescue boats were busy navigating the water-filled streets in search of stranded residents. About 100 people had already been rescued from flooded homes, and 100 more were waiting for help, said Gary Valentine, director of the Hancock County Emergency Management Agency. Forecasters warned that the northwest Ohio town could see record flooding. The Blanchard River was close to 7 feet above flood stage and likely to rise a half-foot or more, the National Weather Service said. In Bucyrus, 40 miles southeast of Findlay, nearly 9 inches of rain had fallen since Monday and at least 200 people were still out of their homes, the Crawford County Department of Emergency Management said. "Reality is starting to set in about just how much damage there is in some of the flooded areas," said Tim Flock, director of the agency. Officials were nervously watching bands of rain passing just south of the area, he said. "It's still raining on us, but it's not hateful - it's just sprinkling," he said. Story Continues Below
The death toll from two storm systems - one that has spanned the Upper Midwest and another from remnants of Tropical Storm Erin in Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri - reached 22 on Tuesday when searchers found the body of a man tangled in a tree near Lewiston, Minn. Flooding also continued in northern Iowa as thunderstorms dumped more heavy rain across the already water-logged region Wednesday. Three subdivisions along the Des Moines River near Fort Dodge were evacuated, and crews were scrambling to reinforce a levee, officials said. The river was already four feet above flood stage and rising, said Tony Jorgenson, Webster County's emergency management coordinator. "The levee on the dam is not completely collapsed, but it's damaged and they're currently shoring it up with rocks and trying to get some sandbags in there," Jorgenson said. A care center was evacuated in Humboldt, Iowa, as water poured into the basement. Humboldt Mayor Steve Samuels said his rain gauge has received 14 inches since Friday. "We're crossing our fingers," he said. "There's water everywhere." Thousands of homes were damaged in Wisconsin and Minnesota as the storm swept through. A preliminary survey by the American Red Cross in Minnesota identified about 4,200 affected homes, including 256 complete losses, 338 with major damage and 475 that are still inaccessible, said Kris Eide, the state's director of homeland security and emergency management. Preliminary damage reports in Wisconsin topped $38 million Tuesday. Gov. Jim Doyle declared a state of emergency in five counties. An additional 1 to 2 inches of rain fell in isolated areas of Wisconsin late Tuesday and early Wednesday, and a flash flood watch remained in effect Wednesday morning. In Oklahoma, which recorded a gust of 82 mph and 11 inches of rain, some 300 homes and businesses were damaged in the Kingfisher area and in Caddo County in southwestern Oklahoma, officials said. According to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, 2007 is so far the fourth-wettest on record in the state, with an average rainfall total of 31.96 inches, 8.42 inches above normal.
© 2007 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Editor's note:
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