Owners of Upper Iowa Resort & Rental committed to re-opening, Designated clean-up days this weekend; Volunteers welcome to help clean up flood-ravaged campground
The storm of August 23-24 that dumped anywhere from three to eight inches of rain in northeast Iowa and swelled the Upper Iowa River to a record flood crest of 24.3 feet left behind a massive clean-up effort for the adjacent Upper Iowa Resort & Rental near Dorchester. Some of the destruction left behind by the record flooding can be seen in the surrounding photos, but owners Bob and Kristi Hager have intentions of opening the campground again. Preliminary clean-up efforts began once the flood waters subsided and the area dried out a bit, with a designated clean-up weekend scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11. Volunteers willing to help with any clean-up effort are asked to contact the Hagers at 563-568-2631. Standard photos by Joe Moses.
by Joe Moses
Late Tuesday, August 23 through early Wednesday, August 24 saw heavy rainfall that impacted much of northeast Iowa. The Upper Iowa River valley in northern Allamakee County suffered flood damage due to the 5.5" to 6" of rain reported by the National Weather Service in that area during that overnight period.
As a result of that rainfall and the flow downstream of more than 8" of rain in the Decorah area, the Upper Iowa River swelled to a record crest of 24.3', nearly two feet higher than it had ever reached before. The Upper Iowa's previous record crest had been 22.5' back in 2008.
Upper Iowa Resort & Rental, located directly next to the usually serene river and offering amenities directly related to it, was quickly impacted by its record crest. Brian Dougherty, a homeowner next to the Upper Iowa Resort & Rental Campground, realized that the weather forecast may not be accurate as his rain gauge overflowed early that Wednesday morning. Dougherty contacted Bob and Kristi Hager, owners of Upper Iowa Resort & Rental, and alerted them that the weather was quickly becoming an issue for the campground.
In a combined effort, the Hagers and seasonal campers began making phone calls at 3:30 a.m., reaching out to those who had a camper parked in the campground. This combined effort continued throughout the early morning, as many quickly worked to move campers out by using tractors and trucks, and the campground was evacuated as best as possible before flood waters made it impossible to continue. Picnic tables were moved and the campground office building was cleared out during the noon hour, as flood waters had risen high enough to enter the building and would continue to rise until the Upper Iowa's record crest was reached around 9 p.m. that Wednesday evening.
Of the 72 campers parked in the campground that day, 52 had been moved offsite by 11 a.m. Wednesday. Six campers were lost downstream as the flood waters rose so quickly that morning. Fourteen campers remained partially submerged in the campground flood water. However, no lives were lost and no injuries were reported.
The Hagers are committed to re-opening the campground but need time to re-evaluate the layout and plan for the business moving forward. The front half of the campground, including cabins and the office, was impacted to a lesser degree, with the lower half of the campground receiving extensive flood damage. The Hagers say the swimming pool will also be able to be salvaged. With the clean-up process getting underway, there is not a solid timetable in place for a re-opening, but the Hagers say that cabins may be available for rent yet this fall.
As that clean-up process continues at the Upper Iowa Resort & Rental Campground, volunteers are welcome to assist. Items left behind by the campground flooding will need to be picked up, trees and other debris need to be disposed of properly, and other clean-up and maintenance projects will be addressed as they become more evident during the clean-up process.
This Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11 will be designated clean-up days at Upper Iowa Resort & Rental, and any help is welcome. Anyone who would like to assist in the clean-up should feel free to contact Bob and Kristi Hager at 563-568-2631.
