Rain, rain go away

Spring's ongoing deluge has local officials feeling lucky compared to past wet years.

Hartley City Administrator Roxann Swanson on Tuesday reported few water-related issues in the City With a Heart. That's a plus for Hartley residents, who've experienced their fair share of headaches during other years when Mother Nature forgot to turn off the spigot.

"There haven't been any reports to us about sewer back ups," Swanson said. "People have had a bit of water in their basements – some a bit more than others – but we deal with it."

The city last week reminded residents that sump pumps should be discharged to their yards or the storm drain and not the sanitary sewer. Doing so can overload the system and increase the chance of backups, Swanson explained.

"Not only that, it's state law," she said.

Spring rains have completely eliminated all remnants of drought throughout the region. On Monday night, northwest Iowa again received a drenching, with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Sioux Falls reporting 1.36" of precipitation in Spencer and 1.14" in Sheldon.

The storm also brought strong winds, which downed trees and branches, causing minor structural damage to some residences. More rain was in the forecast Wednesday.

Though the region has avoided severe weather like the tornadoes experienced in Nebraska and central Iowa late last month, flooding has been an ongoing concern in areas near rivers. The NWS on Wednesday morning issued flood warnings for the Little Sioux River and Ocheyedan River near Spencer as well as the Little Sioux River near Milford and Cherokee.