SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Our coverage of the flood damage now takes us to Rock Rapids, Iowa where a lot of homes have water damage, but as you’re about to see some are much worse off than others.
“It was so unpredictable, it came so fast,” Kathy Schoeneman said.
Kathy Schoeneman and her husband Dale, who live somewhat close to the Rock River, have survived floods before; like the one in 2014.
But to find yourself in a similar situation again 10 years later,
“Your mind is gone, it’s such a shock,” Dale said.
It brought back a lot of painful memories.
“2014, excuse me, when the flood came we had time, but when this one showed up there was no time,” Dale said.
He says they had no warning.
“I talked to the fire department this morning and he was like Dale we couldn’t get to you to warn you that’s how fast it came into town,” Dale said.
The Schoenemans lost pretty much everything.
“Dale was getting things out of the garage and within 10 minutes he had to flee for his life,” Kathy said.
The waterline inside their house is about three feet deep.
The state inspector red-tagged their house, labeling it as an unsafe structure.
For now, they are staying with their daughter.
“There’s nowhere for people to go there is so many people in the same boat you know just so many,” Kathy said.
As bad as it is for the Schoenemans, they are grateful for their neighbors who are helping and know they leave with something.
“My husband, my family, my cat, and my dog,” Kathy said.
“I walked in the front door and everything is destroyed and you’re just like…my family is okay thank God; replaceable not replaceable,” Dale said as he pointed at his wife.
The Rock Rapids Development Corporation says 75 to 80% of the homes in town received some sort of water damage; that’s close to 900 homes.
