Rock Valley, Iowa — In all the flooding and damage in northwest Iowa, we know of only one death — that of a 52-year-old man in Rock Valley.
Rock Valley Police Chief Monte Warburton tells us 52-year-old Kyle Kreykes of Rock Valley died as a result of flooding in Rock Valley over the weekend. Kreykes was listed as a missing person during the flooding, and Warburton says they found him late Monday afternoon.
According to the chief, Kreykes succumbed to injuries after the foundation of his house caved in and a wall caved in on him.
Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday morning at 11 a.m. at the Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in Sheldon. Click here for Kreykes’s obituary.
Chief Warburton tells us that the rescue operation was like nothing he’d ever seen before. He says they rescued hundreds of people. In fact, some people were stranded on a roof and officials had called for a National Guard helicopter to evacuate them, but while the aircraft was en route, the people were rescued by other means.
Speaking of other means, Warburton tells us they used payloaders and then when payloaders could no longer be used, they switched to boats.
Warburton says he was involved in the 2014 flood rescue as well, but he says this was “…ten times worse than 2014.” He tells us the main things were the flow of the water and the pressure. He says it was mainly standing water in the 2014 flood, but this time it had a strong current as well, which easily destroyed basement walls.
He tells us it’s estimated that 1500 people are displaced and homeless in Rock Valley — unable to return to their homes, as they are destroyed or damaged beyond repair. That’s about 37 percent of Rock Valley’s population. He says the estimate is that 500 Rock Valley homes are now uninhabitable.
He wants to thank the community and surrounding communities for their outpouring of support. He says it brings back his faith in humanity.
