Millions in the US prepare for more sweltering heat as floodwaters inundate parts of the Midwest
Millions of Americans prepared to sweat through another scorching day, with the possibility of thunderstorms later Sunday that would bring relief from the sweltering heat for at least some. Floodwaters inundated parts of the Midwest, including an Iowa city that was evacuated after being submerged up to its roofs.
Across the country in California, daily highs in the state’s Central Valley were expected to remain in the triple digits (over 37 degrees Celsius) through Monday.
From the mid-Atlantic to Maine, across much of the Midwest and inland California, government officials warned residents sweating in the heat and humidity. In Oklahoma, the heat index — what temperature feels like to the human body — was expected to reach 107 degrees (41 degrees Celsius) on Sunday.
“It’s more important that people who go outside stay hydrated because heat, humidity and little wind, even if you’re in good shape and not really used to it, it could be a danger, said Bruce Thoren, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oklahoma. “It happens quickly.”
The National Weather Service warned of the possibility of rare tornadoes in the Northeast later Sunday. Tornadoes struck in Wisconsin on Saturday, leveling the historic Apple Grove Lutheran Church in the town of Argyle.
“The good news is that we are all safe,” Dan Bohlman, pastor of Apple Grove Lutheran Church, said on the website of the church, which was founded in 1893.
Sirens sounded Saturday to warn the 4,200 residents of Rock Valley, Iowa, to leave as the water rose.
“We have had so much rain here,” said Mayor Kevin Van Otterloo. “Last night we had 10 centimeters within an hour and a half. Our soil simply can’t handle it anymore.”
In nearby Spencer, Iowa, Aiden Engelkes said he and his girlfriend grabbed clothes, cats and bottled water and left their flooded first-floor apartment for a friend’s fourth-floor dry room. His Chevy SUV sat outside under the swirling water, except for a piece of the antenna. Across the street, he said, friends were sitting on a roof waiting for help.
“It’s terrifying,” says Engelkes (20).
Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a disaster for 21 counties in northern Iowa, including Sioux County, which includes Rock Valley. In drone video installed by the local sheriff, no streets were visible, only roofs and treetops rising above the water.
In South Dakota, Governor Kristi Noem declared a state of emergency after the southeastern part of the state, bordering Nebraska, experienced heavy rainfall. Several highways were closed. Sioux Falls, the state’s largest city, had more than 7 inches of rain in three days.
“Even though the rain decreases, we must remain vigilant,” Noem said. “The worst flooding along our rivers will occur on Monday and Tuesday.”
Last year the US experienced the most heat waves since 1936, experts say. A AP Analysis Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that excessive heat has contributed to more than 2,300 deaths, the most in 45 years of data.
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Julie Walker contributed from New York.