After two consecutive nights (Monday and Tuesday) of severe weather, Sioux County Emergency Management officials say northwest Iowa escaped with relatively minor damage despite numerous reports of downed trees, branches and power lines.
Sioux County Emergency Management Coordinator Ryan De Kruyf said he spent much of both nights monitoring storms and responding to reports of damage, including one night when he was out until about 5 a.m. and another that kept him busy until 3 a.m. before returning early the next morning to assess damage and determine whether any additional assistance might be needed.
Damage was reported in several communities across the county…
•Hawarden experienced numerous downed trees.
•Sioux Center reported additional tree damage and several homes with minor damage from falling branches.
•Orange City had a couple of power poles brought down by the storms.
•Branches and debris also blocked several county and state roadways.
Despite the damage, no injuries were reported.
“Thankfully, not a ton of damage had occurred. I think there were a couple of fences, maybe, that trees or branches landed on that would need to be repaired. But for the most part, the damage was very minimal.”
De Kruyf said the county is not at a point where it needs to seek assistance from the state. Likewise, the recent storms do not appear to meet thresholds that would trigger state debris removal assistance or other disaster aid programs.
Most of the response efforts involved clearing debris from roads and ensuring that emergency vehicles and the traveling public could safely navigate affected areas.
“For the most part, I think we’ve been able to handle it pretty easily with just police and sheriff’s deputies.”
De Kruyf said local police departments, sheriff’s deputies, and emergency management personnel handled the response without needing assistance from fire departments or EMS crews.
However, the threat of severe weather may not be over yet.
The National Weather Service continues to indicate additional chances for thunderstorms in the coming days, and De Kruyf said his office will continue monitoring conditions and sharing updates through the Sioux County Emergency Management Facebook page.
“Let’s hope we don’t get to that level with any of the storms this week. But rest assured, if we do, we are ready and ready to step in and help out where we can.”
Emergency officials continue to encourage residents to stay weather aware and have multiple ways to receive watches and warnings as storm chances remain in the forecast.
