Levee Breached, Evacuations in Clarksville

CLARKSVILLE, Iowa (AP) — The police chief says several people have been forced from their Clarksville homes by floodwater from the swollen Shell Rock River.

Chief Barry Mackey  said Friday morning that water overtopped the levee that runs down the east side of the river west of the Butler County community of about 1,400 people. The chief says several homes are surrounded by water, including his. He spoke from the home of another police officer that sits on higher ground.

Mackey says Clarksville Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and Westside Assisted Living Suites has been evacuated as a precaution.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for parts of Story, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Franklin and Bremer counties.