Midwest flooding collapses a rail bridge, forces evacuations and kills at least 1

NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D.(AP)- A railroad bridge has collapsed during flooding in the Midwestern U.S. that has also forced water rescues, led to evacuations, caused at least one death.. The bridge connected North Sioux City, South Dakota, with Sioux City, Iowa, and collapsed into the Big Sioux River late Sunday. Heavy rain has caused flooding in South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota. Entire neighborhoods and at least one whole town in Iowa have been evacuated. More rain is expected this week.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said at a news briefing Monday that the bridge was the main rail link from her state into Iowa. Some of its trusses collapsed, Jason Westcott, an emergency manager in Union County, South Dakota, told KCAU-TV.

There were no reports of injuries from the collapse, which occurred around 11 p.m. The bridge’s owner, BNSF Railway, had stopped operating it as a precaution during the flooding, spokesperson Kendall Sloan said. Trains are being rerouted.

“We have damaged roads. We have damaged bridges,” Noem said. “That will impact us for many, many months to come.”

The South Dakota Department of Transportation built a berm Sunday night across Interstate 29 in North Sioux City, temporarily blocking it.

Floodwaters have risen over days of heavy rain where South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska meet around Sioux City, as well as along the Iowa-Minnesota border. More rain is forecast, and many streams may not crest until later this week as the floodwaters slowly drain to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.