Flood Damage Poses Health Concerns

By Nadia Crow, Anchor/Reporter

Water continues to rise in Olin on Monday, July 26, 2010. Water was rising on the east side of town from the combination of the Wapsi River and Walnut Creek. The dike, just north of town, broke around 2 p.m. causing water to rise quickly on the west side of town. (Julie Koehn/SourceMedia Group News)

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Aug 2, 2010 at 6:01 PM CDT

Story Updated: Aug 2, 2010 at 6:12 PM CDT

OLIN, Iowa - Flood waters have receded, but pools of warm, dirty sludge remain. It’s become quite the breeding ground for mosquitoes in Delaware and Jones County.

Add flood debris sitting out in the sun, and there’s an awful smell along with the bugs and trash Now as city and county leaders battle the terrible trio, they’re putting safety first. Once record high flood waters receded, smelly, murky, and itchy reminders still linger about.

“Anytime we have debris we provide an environment for mosquitoes to lay eggs on,” said Linn County Public Health Department’s Heidi Peck.

It’s a pesky and itchy consequence of standing water.

The solution means means eliminating their breeding grounds which is part of the flood clean-up process.

“A lot of folks were given a pallet and they just threw the sandbags on them and we can take loads of pallets on to the maintenance shed,” said Olin City Clerk Jean McPherson.

And the summer tradition of spraying insect repellant intensifies after the flooding because the city is using a more powerful killing chemical.

But some after-flooding health concerns won’t go away.

About a dozen or so smelly, debris ridden, vacant homes in Olin will likely sit until Fall.

“Going through all the paperwork and getting all the informaiton put together to Des Moines for the release of the funding that is where we’re at right now,” said McPherson.

And then there’s water quality.

Some cities like Olin test water daily after flooding, but those who don’t use city water have to check their well water.

“People who had their well heads underwater need to bring in their water samples for testing,” said Peck.

The city has a reason to clean up quickly- Friday is Olin’s 175th Jamboree in City Park.

A celebration that will take everyone’s mind off of flooding and back to enjoying the city.

“It’s been here, it’s gone, we’re cleaning up and we’ll keep moving,” said McPherson.

The State Hygienic Lab has pumped out 160 free water testing kits to the Delaware County Public Health Department and the DNR field office both in Manchester.

You can pick up a kit at the Linn County Public Health Department for $10.

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