OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Many Iowans along the Des Moines River can finally take a deep breath.
Water level continues to drop for a third consecutive day.
Residents at the Valley Village Trailer Park are among the many who could return home after evacuations on Wednesday.
Some impassable roads are now open to traffic again.
The Market Street Bridge, however, remains closed despite water and debris no longer crashing into the deck.
The bridge must pass a thorough inspection before reopening to traffic.
In spite of the heavy rains that caused flash flooding across southeast Iowa Friday, the river continued to recede to a safer level.
Ottumwa Public Information Coordinator said the worst of the rain missed the river basin upstream of Ottumwa.
The river level as of Saturday evening stands at 15.81 feet. 4.25 feet below the crest of 20.04 feet Wednesday evening.
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