Bridge Collapses Into Iowa River After Heavy Rains

A railroad bridge collapsed into the Big Sioux River near Sioux City, Iowa, after days of rain caused heavy flooding, Newsweek reported on Monday.

The collapse of the bridge, which connects Sioux City to North Sioux City in South Dakota, took place late Sunday night, authorities told the Sioux City Journal, with Union County Emergency Management Director Jason Westcott explaining that "it kind of caved in the center, and is currently in the river."

Flooding waters from the recent storms have caused people to evacuate their homes in various parts of Iowa, with Gov. Kim Reynolds extending a disaster emergency proclamation to include 21 of the state's counties due to the damage from severe flooding, according to the Washington Examiner.

On Sunday morning, even before the collapse of the bridge, Reynolds sent a request for an "expedited Presidential Disaster Declaration for Iowa counties where significant damage was sustained from severe storms and widespread flooding" due to the recent storms in the state and also wrote a letter to President Joe Biden requesting support and that he declare a state of emergency in the state.

The storms and resulting devastating conditions caused havoc across Iowa throughout the entire weekend, as first responders made some 250 water rescues on Saturday due to the heavy rain and flooding.

The storms have also caused significant damage throughout the state, according to the Washington Examiner, with more than 1,000 Iowa residents forced to flee their homes and go to shelters. In addition, hundreds of properties were destroyed, and more than 1,900 were damaged.