Dickinson County starting to return to normal after flooding

ARNOLDS PARK, Iowa (KCAU) — The 5 mph speed limit was lifted in Dickinson County over the weekend , but the flooding and the speed restriction had already made an impact on businesses in the area.

Many of the businesses on the shore rely on tourists to keep their business afloat. When people aren’t on the lake, they start to struggle.

“The flooding impacted the community a great deal for two and a half weeks,” Will Krestsinger, vice president of Oak Hill Marina, said. “We were busy rescuing boats off the lake. So we work together as a team to make the best of the situation and to make our customers happy.”

Companies and the community came together to help the victims after the flooding. But there was still a lot of damage left behind.

“Yeah, there wasn’t just a lot of boating activity in general,” Krestsinger said. “95% or more of the boats were off the lakes, and so the lake was very quiet. We’re seeing things get more back to normal on a daily basis. More boats are starting to go back out to the lake docks and hoists are starting to get fixed. There’s a lot of summer left, and we’re looking forward to making the best of it.”

Even with the significant damage that many residents and businesses felt, they still keep a positive attitude and know that things are starting to get better.

“We had to take all our hoist customer boats out of the water,” Krestsinger said. “We have 82 hoists that need 82 new engines. So it’s part of the deal with the flood. But we’re a team and we’re working through it.”

Residents are glad to see things start to return to normal.

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