On September 23, a cargo train derailed in Iowa, crashing into the flooded Floyd River—but remarkably, no injuries were reported.
A Union Pacific train was traveling from Mankato, Minnesota, to North Platte, Nebraska, when it crashed in Alton, Iowa. It was carrying industrial sand and soybean oil, Union Pacific senior director of corporate communications Raquel Espinoza told the Des Moines Register.
The city of Alton posted on Facebook that there were no injuries from the derailment. Sand from the train spilled into the river, but no known hazardous materials leaked into the river or the air.
In a statement to KIWA Radio, Espinoza explained that the derailment occurred around 4:30 a.m. CDT on Sunday, and about 37 of the 90 train cars derailed. She estimated that 20 cars ended up in the river, but the exact number was yet to be determined.
At the time of the derailment, the train was traveling on a railroad bridge over the Floyd River, which was destroyed during the crash.
Ahead of the incident, heavy rain caused the Floyd River to flood, cresting on Thursday at 21.96 feet. The river's height surpassed the previous record of 20.50 feet, which was reached in June. When the train derailed, the river was at about 13 feet; it has since decreased to 10.8 feet as of Monday morning.
The cause of the crash had not been determined as of Sunday, but an investigation will be conducted, including looking into what, if any, warnings the crew received about weather conditions.
Aerial footage from the derailment showed railroad cars tossed about, some on their sides and others sticking straight out of the water. The pile of cars worked as a makeshift dam on the river, and water could be seen flowing through one opening in the wreckage.
This is the second derailment in northern Iowa this year. In June, 230,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into floodwaters from the Little Rock River in Lyon County, according to the Associated Press. About 100,000 gallons from the 33-car derailment were contained near the derailment site. Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation that attributed the derailment to rain-fueled flooding.
Sioux County officials requested that people avoid the area near the Floyd River derailment on Sunday as equipment was brought in to assist with the derailment. Cleanup and emergency crews were also on the scene to aid with the aftermath of the crash.
A flood warning from the National Weather Service (NWS) for the Floyd River was in place on Sunday, with the service cautioning residents against traveling through flooded areas.
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