Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT TAKE A LOOK AT THESE POWERFU IMAGES CAPTURED BY OUR SKY 8 CHIEF PILOT SPENCER VAUGHN. HERE’S THE SCENE AT SAYLORVILLE SUNDAY. THE VORTEX AS POWERFUL AS EVER AS WATER POURS OUT OF THE OUTLET. YOU CAN SEE WATER CREEPING UP TO THE SPILLWAY WHERE THE FLOOD GATES ARE ON STANDBY TO ALLOW FOR AN EXTRA 6 FEET OF WATER IF NECESSARY. IN ANKENY MASSIVE CLEAN UP IS UNDERWAY AFTER 10 INCHES OF RAIN SOAKED THE CITY IN A MATTER OF A FEW HOURS SATURDAY NIGHT. BACKYARDS LOOK LIKE A MUDDY SWIMMING POOL IN THE BRIARWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE NORTHWAST SIDE OF TOWN. IN DES MOINES EASTON AVENUE IS NEARLY UNDERWATER. 4 MILE CREEK FLOODED THERE CREATING A RUSHING RIVER THIS COMMUNITY CENTER. HUBBEL IS ALSO UNDERWATER HERE AT EAST 38TH. AT 36TH AND DOUGLAS DES MOINES FIRE CREWS TOOK THEIR BOAT OUT FOR RESCUES A SIGHT ALL TOO COMMON SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. THIS IS THE SCENE IN WINDSOR HEIGHTS WHERE A FLOODED WALNUT CREEK SEEMED TO SWALLOW BUSINESSES Advertisement Des Moines metro starts cleanup after 'historic flooding' Share Shares Copy Link Copy Polk County officials who described this weekend’s heavy rainfall and major flooding as a “historic event” said they anticipate at least a monthslong cleanup effort. A series of thunderstorms hit the Des Moines metro area hard late Saturday into the early morning hours, dumping well over a half-foot of rain in some suburban areas, according to the National Weather Service. RAINFALL REPORTS Longtime Iowa sportscaster Larry Cotlar, 66, died when he was swept away in floodwater after his van flooded on a north Des Moines street, Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek said. His body was found early Sunday several blocks away.POLK COUNTY’S RESPONSE Kelsey Angle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said at a Sunday morning press conference that the recent flash flooding was “obviously a historic event, in terms of sheer rainfall” and that “the magnitude that was described surpassed many of our expectations.” Des Moines emergency response officials said they called in additional personnel to aid in about 35 to 40 public assists, many of which were water rescues due to vehicles stalled in standing water. Nearly 20,000 MidAmerican customers lost power Saturday night, according to the company’s website, but that number has dramatically been reduced by Sunday morning. Click here for the latest. When asked about Polk County officials’ response to the flash flooding, Polk County Emergency Management Director A.J. Mumm said, “The resources that were needed last night were so immediate that bringing in resources from any distance other than the metro area became unrealistic.”“The focus of resource needs over the next operational period will definitely be on the human side,” he said. RECOVERY EFFORT Weather officials said they expect continued flooding along Walnut and Fourmile creeks, as well as Raccoon River. However, the rain threat is over and waters are starting to recede. The Raccoon River at Fleur Drive is forecast to continue to drop over the next few days, dropping out of the minor flood stage by Tuesday.Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie assured residents that they would be able to get to work come Monday morning. City officials are assessing damage and working on an update for road closures, which should be marked. Once barricaded, roadways will remain closed until water is off the road, flood damage is assessed, repairs are made and streets are cleaned. Closures as of Sunday afternoon include East 42nd Street north of Easton Boulevard, Saylor Road by Birdland Marina, Prospect Road, Birdland Drive and George Flagg Parkway. And Angela Connolly, a member of the Polk County Board of Supervisors, said there will be a one-stop shop set up at 1 p.m. Monday at 2309 Euclid Ave. to assist hundreds of displaced residents with health services and basic housing, among other things. A Red Cross spokesman told KCCI that an estimated 100 people stayed at a shelter at Hoyt Middle School in Des Moines overnight. The shelter was relocated at Southeast Polk Junior High School. Red Cross workers will help out hand out flood kits and make sure mental health needs are OK. DES MOINES TRANSPORTATIONThe Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority, or DART, is operating normal service Sunday following the overnight flooding, but riders should expect delays, as many routes are on temporary detours due to road closures. Routes will return to normal as roads reopen. Riders with questions should call DART Customer Service at 515-283-8100.ANKENY Ankeny received the brunt of the storm’s force and saw around 10 inches of rainfall in a short time frame, according to the weather service. At one point during the storm, rain fell at a rate of more than 4 inches per hour. Viewers sent KCCI photos and video of stranded cars idle in standing water and sump pumps at full capacity. VIEW OR SUBMIT U LOCAL PHOTOSA boil order was issued for Ankeny residents early Sunday after a water main break on the city’s south side near Northwest 18th Street, but it was lifted for a majority of the city a few hours later. Crews have shut off water for those living near the water main break so they can start making repairs. Homes, as well as businesses like the Briarwood Golf Club, were damaged in the unprecedented flooding. “If you want to talk about a flash flood, it was a flash flood,” said Justin Bauer, president of the Briarwood Golf Club.” Despite soaking wet belongings and badly damaged basements, many central Iowans still found time to begin the recovery effort. “It’s a nice little group here,” Ankeny resident Fred Willrich said. “We will help each other, too.” CLIVEThe rain also prompted the evacuation of homes and businesses along Walnut Creek in the suburb of Clive. As of Sunday evening, Greenbelt Trail remained closed due to floodwater and debris, along with the Clive library and aquatic center. PLEASANT HILLSeveral roads in Pleasant Hill, which is near Fourmile Creek and the Des Moines River are covered with water and are not passable. That includes portions of Vandalia Road, Little Fourmile Creek Drive, Pleasant Hill Boulevard and Parkridge Avenue. Copper Creek Lake Park and portions of the Gay Lea Wilson Trail are closed due to flooding.Fourmile Creek on Des Moines’ east side had record flooding, and residents who are dependent on power for medical devices requested assistance.URBANDALEIn Urbandale, a massive pile of damage and debris, broken wood and glass is all that remained from a duplex explosion that happened around 11 p.m. Saturday. Firefighters initially found parts of the home on fire and the first floor under several feet of water. Fire officials said they believe a pilot light may have been doused by the floodwaters, causing a gas leak. Remarkably, no one was injured in the explosion, officials said. Renters Christina and Shane Rhoades were able to escape as the floodwaters rushed in and before the explosion. They have set up a GoFundMe page. To donate, click here. A GoFundMe page has also been set up for the other residents, Holly and Sam Swinton, who friends say are recently married. To donate, click here. Also in Urbandale, floodwaters turned the Holiday Inn along Merle Hay Road into a scene reminiscent of “Titanic.” Tina Chidester was staying at the hotel with a traveling sports team when she caught the frightening scene on her cellphone. WINDSOR HEIGHTS73rd Street was closed from Buffalo Road to Franklin Avenue, including the intersection of University Avenue and 73rd Street. It has since been reopened.Colby Park, the dog park, trails and School Street remained closed as of Sunday afternoon, city officials said.WEST DES MOINESThe intersection at 63rd Street and Grand Avenue has been closed off, as Walnut Creek is near the road level. City officials have closed the floodgates. There are reports of flooding all along Walnut Creek, which also saw historic flooding Saturday night.<doc-sep>(CNN) — Flash floods in Des Moines, Iowa, have claimed the life of Larry Cotlar, a popular longtime sports radio host, according to the Des Moines Police Department. Police responded on Saturday at 8:50 p.m. to a report of a stalled van whose occupant was swept away in floodwaters. Officers began a search of the area and found Cotlar’s body several blocks away from the van about four hours later, police said. Cotlar, 66, was a local sports radio personality and broadcaster who was named Iowa’s Sportscaster of the Year in 2006. Polk County, which includes Des Moines, saw a significant amount of flash flooding overnight Saturday due to heavy rains, according to Nola Aigner, a spokeswoman with the county’s Emergency Operations Center. There have been many stalled motor vehicles and a significant number of residents rescued by boat from houses and apartment buildings, Aigner said. Courtesy Andrew Batt Andrew Batt used a drone to take this photo of the flooding in Johnston, Iowa, which is about 10 miles northwest of Des Moines. Six to 8 inches of rain fell in a 12-hour period in Polk County and neighboring Story County. One creek just west of downtown Des Moines rose over 15 feet in just 3.5 hours. A few waterways remained in the major to moderate flood stage Sunday morning, but floodwaters were starting to subside as heavy rains moved away from the area. KCCI Heavy rains in Polk County caused flash floods in Des Moines and killed one man. Andy Garman, a KCCI reporter and Cotlar’s former radio co-host, said Cotlar had worked in the Iowa sports radio scene for decades, covering college teams and serving as the voice of Drake University basketball. Absolutely gutted to hear the awful news. My friend and former radio co-host Larry Cotlar was killed in the flash... Posted by Andy Garman on Sunday, July 1, 2018 “There just wasn’t anybody who didn’t like Larry Cotlar,” Garman told CNN. “He touched people at all the schools.” Cotlar had an extensive list of contacts and recently self-published a book, “The Biggest Rolodex in Sports.” He also had recently survived prostate cancer and became an advocate for people to get checked, Garman said. “The guy was overwhelmingly positive,” Garman said. “He’d had some setbacks, dealt with cancer and any number of things, but always had a smile on his face and always was ready to attack the day.” CNN’s Haley Brink and Deanna Hackney contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
At a Glance Flash flooding struck central Iowa Saturday night. A 66-year old man was found dead after being swept away by the raging floodwaters. Multiple water rescues have been reported. Homes and businesses were evacuated along Walnut Creek. Major flash flooding struck central Iowa Saturday night, including Des Moines, where one man was killed. Police identified the flood victim as 66-year-old Larry Cotlar, according to the Associated Press. He was a longtime sportscaster in Iowa and the voice of Drake University's athletic teams since 2005. Cotlar was swept away in the floodwaters after he tried to exit a stalled van. His body was recovered multiple blocks away about four hours later. The orange and red shadings show where the heaviest rain fell Saturday night in central Iowa. Blue circles are individual reports of flooding from the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that water rescues occurred Saturday night in Ankeny, Johnston, Des Moines and Urbandale. A flash flood emergency was issued by the NWS because of the dangerous flooding. Advertisement Water was reported to be chest deep in parts of the Ankeny area after an estimated 10 inches of rain fell on Saturday. A boil water advisory is in effect for Ankeny due to a water main break, KCCI reports. Fourmile Creek at Easton Boulevard in Des Moines rose to 17.1 feet, setting a new record for that location. A record flood stage was also observed at Walnut Creek in Des Moines (63rd street) which crested at 19.08 feet. Records have been kept at both of those locations since the 1970s. Homes and businesses along Walnut Creek in the Des Moines suburb of Clive had to be evacuated, according to the AP. Dry weather conditions will return to central Iowa to begin this week as the storm system responsible for the flooding heads east.