Snow melt causes minor flood problems

The warm temperatures that brought thunderstorms to the state earlier in the week left a reminder behind.

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, S.D., issued a flood warning for the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan rivers near Spencer. The area saw unusually heavy snowfalls in December and unusually warm weather within the past week. It prompted the agency to issue flood warnings for:

* The Big Sioux River at Hawarden and Akron;

* The Ocheyedan River near Spencer and

* The Little Sioux River at Milford, Spencer and Cherokee.

Hydrologists in Sioux Falls said runoff from the melting of the pre-existing snow pack over the last several days, combined with rain and ice jams to cause flooding conditions.

"Several ice jams have caused rapid rises on a portion of the Big Sioux and Little Sioux Rivers," the flood warning statement said. "Minor flooding is being reported or is expected in many locations through the end of this week."

The agency is aware of one specific ice jam, between Cherokee and Correctionville, on the Little Sioux River. Stages have jumped as much as seven feet above jam, while stages have dropped over three feet at Correctionville below the jam.

The flood warning for the Little Sioux River near Spencer is set to expire late Friday night. It was at 11 feet, according to measurements taken at 6 a.m. Wednesday. The Little Sioux was expected to crest at 11.3 feet later in the day. Flood stage is 10 feet.

The Ocheyedan River near Spencer was 8.1 feet Wednesday morning. It was expected to crest at 8.4 feet. The flood stage is eight feet.