As tricky as it can be to predict how much rain Yankton County might get this week, current forecasts shouldn’t cause a resurgence of flooding at this time, local emergency officials say.
Heavy rains caused regional flooding last week, closing highways and bridges in southeastern South Dakota and parts of Nebraska and Iowa. In Yankton County, most of the flooding occurred around the James River, closing several local roads and bridges.
As of Monday, the Jamesville Colony Bridge was back in service, and the Stone Church Bridge, which required some repairs, was expected to reopen by the end of the day, the Director of the Office of Emergency Management told the Press & Dakotan. Yankton County, Paul Scherschlight.
Also, the rain in the forecast should not be a cause for alarm, he said.
“I think with the amount of rain we can get, we’ll be fine,” Scherschlight said. “The Jim River has dropped quite a bit, so any runoff is going to be miserable for the farmers, but I don’t think (the roads) are going to be a problem.”
On Monday, the US National Weather Service (NWS) predicted approximately 1-2 inches of rain through Tuesday evening, and an active aloft pattern is expected to make additional showers and thunderstorms possible throughout the week.
“If it’s, say, 1.5 inches of rain by (Tuesday), then I don’t think we need to worry,” Scherschlight said. “If we had a boat in the rain, then maybe a guy would be worried, but at the moment, I don’t think so.”
Meanwhile, Cedar County was under a moderate flood watch from 7 p.m. Monday through Tuesday morning due to forecasts of heavy rain and thunderstorms, with some locations experiencing multiple rounds of storms.
According to the NWS, rainfall amounts of an inch or more are likely, but some localized areas could receive as much as 3-5 inches.
Also Monday, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Office of Emergency Management (OEM) announced it was requesting a joint preliminary damage assessment (PDA) with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Emergency officials said assessing damage to public infrastructure and individual households will be crucial in determining the need for a presidential disaster declaration. The assessment will include up to 30 counties and is scheduled to begin the week of July 15. Local government and individuals affected by the floods have until July 12 to submit their damage reports.
Yankton County residents who experienced property damage to their home or residential property are asked to visit https://yanktonoem.com/ to complete and submit an online individual assistance form by the July 12 deadline.
Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) continued to monitor crest and floodwater information as it continued down the Missouri River, adjusting releases along the Missouri River’s main reservoir system as needed.
“We are currently releasing 13,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) at Gavins Point Dam,” John Remus, chief of the Missouri River Water Management Division, said during a daily news conference. “We plan to maintain that release through this week, and then reevaluate over the weekend.”
In areas where receding flood waters have left pools of standing water, the South Dakota Department of Health is advising residents to take steps to prevent an increase in mosquito populations.
Stagnant water creates ideal conditions for mosquito breeding. The main concern at this time is the troublesome species Aedes vexans, which does not normally carry West Nile Virus (WNV). However, another common species, Culex tarsalis, can pose a significant risk.
Officials recommend removing any standing water by turning, covering or throwing away any outdoor items that hold water, including tires, buckets, planters, toys, wading pools, bird baths, flower pot trays or trash containers. Containers without lids can be covered using wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito. Other items to address include tree holes and cracks or gaps in septic tanks.