HBI

Staff Reports

July 30. 2010 9:52AM

Another thunderstorm passed through dumping more rain on the area causing widespread flooding and some basement walls to collapse in Lincoln County.

Those driving into Sioux Falls from the south are advised to use Louise Avenue this morning due to water on both Minnesota and Cliff avenues south of town, said Harold Timmerman, Lincoln County emergency manager.

The Department of Transportation has closed Highway 11 north of 85th Street and many homes in the area also have been flooded, he said.

“We’re just trying to make sure no one gets hurt driving through water,” he said, adding that people need to use caution this morning.

The National Weather Service has no official rainfall totals at this point but the area generally received between 2-6 inches of rain, said Jim Murray, meteorologist.

In Sioux Falls, the heavy rainfall caused many intersections to flood including 49th Street and Sertoma Avenue and 49th Street and Louise Avenue causing cars to stall, said Police Sgt. Jerry Mundt.

One gentleman had to be rescued after his car was washed off the road on Highway 135 north of County Road 106 near the Spring Creek Golf Country Club around 3:30 a.m., Timmerman said.

The man was rescued using a Sioux Falls Fire Rescue ladder truck, but had to wait about an hour while his car was almost totally submerged, he said.

There were also three reports of basement collapses, one in Tea, one in the Harrisburg area and one just south of Sioux Falls near Highway 11, Timmerman said.