(Le Mars) — At the Le Mars city council meeting held Tuesday, Mayor Dick Kirchoff brought up the recent flooding, and the city’s response, during the general discussion portion of the meeting. Kirchoff says several city officials received either emails, or letters, criticizing the city for what was perceived as poor preparation for the flooding. Kirchoff says some
people are led to believe the city of Le Mars doesn’t have a disaster plan in place. He says the truth is the city has had a disaster plan ever since 1985, and it has been updated every two years since its inception. During the meeting, Kirchoff asked Le Mars Fire Chief Dave Schipper to speak on the city’s emergency disaster plan, as well as the city’s response to the
flooding. Schipper informed the city council that a city disaster plan is in the hands of every city department’s supervisor, as well as many other entities including the local newspaper and media. A total of 32 books containing the emergency plan are distributed within the community. He says emergency shelters have been identified in the plan for people who cannot
stay in their homes, or people who are evacuated. He says those shelters are located at Le Mars Community High School, Gehlen Catholic High School, and the Community Wellness Center. Schipper says the city has four different levels of readiness for disasters.
Schipper says the low-lying areas would include the Municipal Park, the recreational trail, the airport, and the Little League and Gehlen Catholic ball parks, and the city’s waste water treatment plants. He says Level One would mean maximum readiness, and full emergency operations center activation.
The Le Mars Fire Chief reported what consequences happen when the rising flood waters reach different levels. Schipper says a new record level was achieved with the recent flooding waters exceeding 26 feet.
Schipper says the city has implemented the disaster plan, or parts of the emergency plan, on different occasions. He says city officials enacted the emergency disaster plan during a blizzard of 2009, the flooding during the Memorial Day Weekend of 2013, and the high wind storm that hit Le Mars during Ice Cream Days in 2016. Schipper submitted a detailed timeline of the events that took place during the three days of flooding. He says although the residents of PGA Drive were cut off for a period of 24 hours due to rising flood waters, at no time were they ever without emergency services.
The Le Mars Fire Chief says all emergency personnel were notified of the situation, and a plan was in place if a 9-1-1 call were to originate from the P-G-A Drive area.
Schipper says within 24 hours the water had receded, and the road closed barricades and signs were removed, and the residents had full access to getting out from the neighborhood.
