Helicopters rush to rescue residents from a flooded town in Iowa, as much of the U.S. continues to struggle with intense heat.
On Saturday, the governor of Iowa deployed helicopters to a small town to evacuate residents from flooded homes after weeks of heavy rain. Meanwhile, much of the United States continued to endure an intense heatwave.
Sirens blared at 2 a.m. in Rock Valley, a town of 4,200 people, warning residents in hundreds of homes to evacuate as the Rock River overflowed due to relentless rainfall. The town had no running water because the wells were unusable.
“We have National Guard helicopters coming in to rescue people from their roofs — literally from their roofs or second floors, as their first floors are completely flooded,” said Mayor Kevin Van Otterloo.
“We’ve experienced so much rain here,” he added. “We received four inches in just an hour and a half last night. The ground simply can’t absorb any more.”
Governor Kim Reynolds declared a disaster for Sioux County, which includes Rock Valley. Drone footage posted by the local sheriff showed only rooftops and the tops of trees above the floodwaters.
Elsewhere in the U.S., the miserable grip of heat and humidity continued. The National Weather Service said roughly 15 million people were under a heat warning — the highest warning — while another 90 million were under a heat advisory.
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