Heavy rain and flooding cause Iowa bridge to collapse into river

A railroad bridge in North Sioux City, Iowa , collapsed into the Big Sioux River on Sunday night. The bridge gave way to pressure from flood waters after heavy rain and flooding .

The bridge, which connected Riverside and North Sioux City, collapsed around 11 p.m. local time , according to reports . The area has been battered with storms in recent days, which have caused significant flooding throughout Iowa. Flooding waters from the recent storms have caused people to evacuate their homes in various parts of Iowa.

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) extended a disaster emergency proclamation last Friday for the state due to the damage from severe flooding. The emergency was expanded to include 21 of Iowa’s counties.

“I have issued a Disaster Proclamation for Sioux County and directed all available state resources to assist Rock Valley and other communities in northwest Iowa in response to catastrophic flooding,” Reynolds posted on X.

Early Sunday morning, well before the bridge collapsed, Reynolds requested an “expedited Presidential Disaster Declaration for Iowa counties where significant damage was sustained from severe storms and widespread flooding” due to the recent storms in the state. She also wrote a letter to President Joe Biden requesting support and that he declare a state of emergency in the Hawkeye State.

“Downpours of rain preceded several supercell storms that produced exorbitant amounts of rain,” Reynolds wrote in the request. “These cells moved across western and central Iowa early in the afternoon, and throughout the evening of Saturday, June 22, 2024. Preliminary impact reports indicated widespread damage, large amounts of debris, and record flooding across the state. Consequently, I would respectfully request that you declare a major disaster for the State of Iowa.”

The storms and devastating conditions caused havoc throughout the state all weekend. First responders made 250 water rescues on Saturday because of the heavy rain and flooding, according to various reports .

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The devastating storms had caused significant damage throughout the state. According to reports, more than 1,000 people had to flee their homes and go to shelters. Hundreds of properties were destroyed, and over 1,900 were damaged.

There were not any reported victims in Sunday’s bridge collapse.