OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Will the flooding ever stop?

Particular areas of Ottumwa have received massively-severe amounts of flooding two weeks in a row, stranding cars and affecting residents and businesses.

Is something wrong with the storm-sewer system?

“No,” said Mayor Dale Uehling. “Anytime that you get four-and-a-half inches of rainfall in less than two hours, and there's a good indication that about four-inches came down in about 35 minutes. When that happens and the ground is already saturated, there's no way a storm system can handle that.”

Will the city find funds to replace the system?

“Since 1957, I have lived in Southeast Iowa: Knoxville, Albia and Ottumwa, and I can tell you that we have never had this type of rain and the intensity we've had recently,” said Uehling. “Really, the intensity and the amount of rainfall that came down on Friday, there is no way that a city can design a storm system to handle that type of runoff.”

Uehling explains what they are doing to prevent further flooding in these areas.

“We have a grant application in that would help to alleviate some of the problems on Gateway Drive and we're hoping to get that grant appeal. We're documenting what has happened in the last two weeks here and getting that information in. Yes, there are a lot of people very upset and I don't blame them, but again, this is something that the city can't control, nor can we build a storm system that will handle this kind of event.”

Uehling says areas north of Ottumwa, such as Business 63, will need to be discussed with the Highway Department of Transportation.