116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Rock Valley man dies in flooded basement
Most of Northwest Iowa city accessible after waters recede
By Dolly Butz - Sioux City Journal
Jun. 28, 2024 10:36 am
Northwest Iowa flooding has claimed the life of a 52-year-old Rock Valley man who was reported missing, according to authorities.
Rock Valley Police Chief Monte Warburton confirmed the death of Kyle Kreykes, whose body was found in his flooded basement. Warburton said Kreykes' death is the only known death from catastrophic flooding in Rock Valley.
"When we were able to pump out his basement, we located him in the basement of his house," Warburton said. "It looked like he got pinned down by debris in his basement and succumbed to those injuries."
On June 22, a levee broke and water from the Rock River swamped berms in the city, which is located in the northwest corner of Sioux County. Hundreds of homes were evacuated. The river crested at about 27.64 feet June 22, according to data from the National Weather Service, nearly 5 feet higher than the previous record.
The floodwater has receded and almost all of Rock Valley is accessible again, according to Warburton. He said residents can return to their homes and begin the cleanup process, which he described as "massive."
Since many homes' foundations are gone or have shifted, Warburton said residents need to be cautious. He urged them to have their electrical panels inspected before the power is turned back on.
"If they feel like they're being unsafe, they need to back out of their houses," he said. "We've got things that are shifting, things that are malfunctioning. I want to make sure that nobody else gets hurt."
Warburton said it will be a "long time" before Rock Valley gets back to where it was before the flood of 2024.