(Pottawattamie Co) One day after tornado activity destroyed several portions of Pottawattamie County, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds visited the city of Minden to view the devastation in-person and offer support.
The visit occurred on Saturday, April 27th, and comes on the heels of a governor-issued proclamation of disaster emergency for the County. Affected areas of Friday’s severe weather include western portions of Council Bluffs, northeast of Crescent, east of McClelland, southwest of Treynor, and the city of Minden.
Officials estimate approximately 300 homes and businesses in the county experienced some level of damage. Four-storm related injuries have been reported. Three individuals were treated and released by Friday evening. One individual, previously listed in critical but stable condition, passed away in the overnight hours Saturday.
The most concentrated damage from Friday’s weather events occurred in Minden. Officials currently assess 48 homes as completely destroyed, displacing resident occupancy. Access to the city has been limited to residents only, as safety hazards remain an obstacle. Officials are hopeful outside volunteer assistance will be allowed entry in the coming days.
A curfew for the city of Minden remains in effect between the hours of 10:00PM and 6:00AM. Clean-up efforts continue to progress as expected, and health services are available during this process at the Minden Medical Clinic.
Mid-American Energy has restored power to a portion of the west side of town and the city’s primary lines have been reenergized. Work to restore power to a greater portion of the city is ongoing.
Minden’s water tower continues to be fed from the regional water system. Crews are working to remove debris from the controls of the water treatment plant. Once clear, an assessment of damage will occur and work towards restoring water distribution can begin.
Utility outages in other areas of the county are isolated to affected properties. There has been no communicated need for food, water, or emergency housing in any area of Pottawattamie County.
One of the current challenges facing response and recovery efforts in Minden is the influx of resources that haven’t been requested. Current response efforts include provisions for meal availability, water/hydration, medical support, and operational tools, heavy equipment, and resources sufficient for coming week’s operations.
Officials are advising volunteers and organizations not to self-deploy to the disaster area. As safety conditions and operational needs change, officials will announce volunteer opportunities for individuals, small groups, and additional organized disaster response teams when that need arises and safety conditions improve.
For individuals or groups wanting to donate to the relief of disaster survivors, officials strongly encourage people to make monetary donations. This allows the ability to purchase goods that match the needs identified by disasters survivors seeking assistance.
The Community Foundation for Western Iowa has created a Southwest Iowa Emergency Relief Fund to benefit those impacted by the storm. To donate, visit https://bit.ly/southwest-iowa-relief-fund.
If you wish to have your donation designated to the community of Minden, a special fund is being established and information on how to make that donation will be announced in the coming days.
Ongoing disaster information and a link for property owners to report storm-related damage can be accessed on the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency website, pcema-ia.org.
