The Lake Delhi dam 45 miles north of Cedar Rapids Iowa failed to contain the excess rainwater and flooded residential areas below. Flood waters are up to the eaves of some homes. Officials issued an evacuation order, and approximately 700 people left their homes. There have been no casualties reported.
According to the National Weather service, a 30-foot-wide gap had opened in the berm along side the dam. The area had gotten 10-inches of rainfall in 12 hours and the surge of water was too much for the dam and saturated ground to hold. The Maquoketa River engulfed homes downstream. Residents of Hopkinton had minutes to escape the rush of water, but no injuries or casualties were reported.
MSNBC said, "The breach began with a section of two-lane road atop the dam collapsing — sparking officials’ worst fears of “a catastrophic release of water,” David Fink, Lake Delhi dam operation manager, told the Des Moines Register. “It’s going to have a hell of a lot of velocity.”
"Chunks of the two-lane highway broke off in 15- and 30-foot blocks and washed away. The iron guard rail snapped and flapped in the wind like a party streamer as the water rushed by," the newspaper reported on its website."
According to CNN, "Amanda Duck, a trained weather spotter along with her husband in Monticello, told CNN she had been watching the water slowly rise all day. By evening, water was beginning to seep over a road that runs behind her house and into her neighbor's yard.... "We're both just in a state of shock," Duck said. "We're just trying to keep our wits about us and help our neighbors." '
The area below the dam is mostly farmland and is not densely populated. Residents were able to evacuate before the water reached their homes. The town of Monticello is under flood warning. A disaster proclamation has also been issued for Delaware and Jones Counties.
Lake Delhi dam in Iowa broke and flooded Hopkinton and other areas north of Cedar Rapids. Residents were safely evacuated and no injuries or deaths have been reported. The area remains under flood watch.
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