By Dean Welte and Taylor Deckert
Published: Jun. 23, 2024 at 9:05 PM CDT
UPDATE
NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KTIV) - Houses were literally washed away by the rushing flood waters in McCook Lake, South Dakota.
Monday morning, McCook Lake had been completely blocked off to the public. We’ve been getting heartbreaking photos of the damage that the houses around McCook Lake have sustained.
Trucks are tipping into the washed-out roads, docks are floating out in the middle of McCook, and a woman who lives in the McCook Lake area is unable to get into her home due to the dangerous conditions.
Additionally, water has taken over the highway and most all of North Sioux City by the school, Dakota Valley.
An evacuation was called late Sunday night. The Union County Emergency Management told residents on North Shore Drive, from Exit 4 to the Dakota Valley High School to leave the area because of rising water.
Multiple residents have been displaced and the school is reported to have flooded. At least two homes have been washed into the lake. Water rescue teams helped residents overnight and through the morning.
Monday morning officials discussed how this happened, including Union County Emergency Management.
“What occurred yesterday was the result of a mitigation effort. Mitigation is designed to lessen the effects of flooding in our area and also lessen the effects of flooding on our infrastructure. If we did not take the mitigation efforts that we took yesterday, much of North Sioux City would be underwater,” said Jason Westcott, the emergency manager for Union County.
KTIV was out viewing the damage Monday morning with the Union County Sheriff’s Office, but as we were out people were driving around the barricades in an attempt to travel north. Authorities want to stress, you can’t go around barricades.
“Don’t come up Streeter Drive here as you can at this intersection we are turning semis around here. You’re going to have to go to Nebraska to go north. Don’t go around barricades, you can be written citations for it, for the safety and for the community,” said Sgt. Jerry Renken with the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
It is not safe to be in the North Sioux City area until Union County Emergency Management says it is.
Interstate 29 is covered as of Monday morning, with waters from the Big Sioux River overflowing over both lanes of traffic. Officials are telling us that this flooding was worse than the 2011 flood for this area. A levee was built of sand and clay right underneath the bridge over the highway, working to block water. People are still supposed to stay out of the area when the levee gets moved.
PREVIOUS (8 A.M.)
NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KTIV) - Evacuations remain in effect for North Sioux City as one of the entrances into town has been blocked. The orders to evacuate McCook Lake in South Dakota around 9 p.m. Sunday. Voluntary evacuations remain in place for Dakota Dunes.
McCook Lake residents have experienced damage to their homes.
Union County Emergency Management told residents on North Shore Drive, from Exit 4 to the Dakota Valley High School had to evacuate because of rapidly rising water from the Big Sioux River.
As of Monday morning, the city says the bridge entrance into North Sioux from Riverside is blocked because of flooding. Officials say Exit 2 is open to enter into North Sioux City.
There was no emergency shelter in place for residents and all were told to leave the area. KTIV’s RJ Breen was in the area as crews worked with sandbags to shore up levees and get to people still in their homes. As of now, people are asked to stay away from McCook Lake, North Sioux City and the Riverside area of Sioux City
Sioux City Transit told residents it was not going to run buses into North Sioux City.
Also in North Sioux City, late Sunday night the train bridge over the Big Sioux collapsed. And just nearby in Dakota Dunes, voluntary evacuations remain in place for residents but may become mandatory if waters rise any further.
Officials want to remind people: Turn Around Don’t Drown
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NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KTIV) - An evacuation notice has been issued to some residents in the North Sioux City and McCook area.
According to Union County Emergency Management, residents on the North Shore from Exit 4 to Dakota Valley High School are being asked to evacuate.
Photos from viewers are showing high water levels in the area, with the flooding affecting several roads.
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