Storm cited as factor in fatal crash

(Photo by Sam Horan) Ominous clouds bring a rash of severe weather to the area. Clay County was under numerous severe thunderstorm warnings Thursday afternoon and evening.

The Clay County Sheriff's Department said Thursday's stormy weather may have contributed to a fatal, head-on collision one mile west of Ruthven near the Palo Alto County line.

The crash claimed 77-year-old Opal Lucille Frerichs of Spencer. Deputies think she was traveling east in a 1991 Corsica. She drifted into the westbound lane and into the path of oncoming traffic along U.S. Highway 18 at 4:20 p.m. Frerichs was pronounced dead at the Palo Alto County Hospital in Emmetsburg.

The other driver, 20-year-old Alex Christian Heldt of Mallard, was westbound in a 1994 Chevy Blazer. He was taken by ambulance to Spencer Hospital, then flown by medical helicopter to Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Heldt is being treated for internal injuries as well as several fractured bones, but is listed in stable condition, according to a sheriff's statement.

Clay County deputies were assisted by the Iowa State Patrol and Ruthven Fire and Rescue at the scene.

Deputies cite medical as well as weather conditions as factors in the accident. Clay County was under a severe thunderstorm warning until about 20 minutes before deputies were contacted about the crash.

Parts of Clay County were under four separate severe thunderstorm warnings Thursday:

* Northern Clay, southern Dickinson and northeast O'Brien County saw the first warning issued at 3:38 p.m. It was cancelled at 3:59 p.m. Areas of Spencer saw some pea-sized hail.

* Northeast Buena Vista and southeast Clay County were under a severe thunderstorm warning at 6:15 p.m. Storm forecasters replaced it with a warning for southern Clay County at 6:30 p.m.

Inch-sized hail was reported in the Webb and Greenville areas.

* Northern Clay, Dickinson, northeast O'Brien and southeast Osceola County were under a third warning, at 8:24 p.m. It expired at 9:15 p.m. Quarter-sized hail was reported six miles west of Fostoria and golf ball-sized hail was reported two miles north of Everly.

Half-dollar-sized hail was reported four miles northeast of Highway 18 and county road M27.

* The National Weather Service issued its last severe thunderstorm warning at 9:15 p.m. for Dickinson County and northern Clay County. It was allowed to expire at 10 p.m.

Quarter-sized hail was reported two miles east of Terril and seven miles northeast of Dickens.

Flash flooding was reported in cities just north of Spencer, including Terril and Arnolds Park.

"The biggest issue we had was all of the heavy rain in the south half of the county," said Dickinson County Emergency Management Director Mike Ehret. "It caused street flooding in Milford and Arnolds Park. It was simply too much rain, too fast. The storm drains couldn't keep up."

Ehret confirmed some nickel-sized hail about four miles south of Milford. Most of it stayed south of Milford and north of Spencer.

"I haven't heard any reports of crop damage, or anything like that," he said.

Flooding will continue to be a concern along the Little Sioux River. Ehret said the river stage rose 18 inches between 11:30 p.m. Thursday and 7:30 a.m. Friday.

"We'll be keeping an eye on that," he said. "That will be of interest to you down there (in Spencer). They got pretty heavy rain in southern Jackson County (Minn.), where the river starts."

There was heavy rain, large hail and driving winds to the other parts of the state as well.

The brunt of the storms hit the Waterloo area early Friday, where MidAmerican Energy says nearly 9,000 customers in the Waterloo area were without power before daybreak Friday, according to the Associated Press.

Storms in northeast Iowa downed trees and power lines and blew over a semitrailer just north of Cedar Falls.

Baseball-size hail damaged cars in Sheldon.