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MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Public Works Street Department spent Wednesday morning training staff and exercising Mississippi Drive Structure #1. The flood gate is located adjacent to the seawall at the eastern end of Mississippi Drive.

Tyson Wedekind, Roadway Maintenance Supervisor, stated that just four of the current staff had participated in a previous installation of the floodgate so the training was needed to get all staff up to speed on the deployment procedures for the gate.

Exercising the flood gate involves the installation of each piece of the structure, physical inspection of each piece and accomplishing repairs as needed, and dismantling and proper storage of each piece of the structure. Training was supervised by staff members who had participated in a previous installation.

Annual drills (exercises) are conducted to retain familiarity with the mechanics and manpower requirements of installing closure structures in years when the actual need to close does not occur. Sporadic intervals of personnel turnover make drills extremely necessary. Conduct gate closure drills on Mississippi Drive Structure #1 and on East 2nd Street Structure #2. The structure on East 2 nd Street was cleaned and exercised on March 15.

Flood gates were removed from 5th Street in 2006 when the bridge was elevated, therefore, no action is required at 5th Street. Two other flood gates cross CP Rail tracks including one across from the bluff on Mississippi Drive, and the other just south of Washington Street on the spur towards HeinzKraft.

The Mississippi River is currently at 14.33 feet and is expected to rise to 15.3 feet by next Tuesday. The current forecast is for the Mississippi to reach minor (16 feet) to moderate (18 feet) flood stage by the first week of May. A level of 18 feet would affect most of the parking area inside Riverside Park.

Watch a video of the procedure at https://youtu.be/lAtsmIy7IcI.

To comment, provide a suggestion, or notify the city of an issue please visit MUSCATINE CONNECT, powered by SeeClickFix, or download the app from the Apple App store or Google Play. For more information visit CITIZEN REQUEST. Citizens also have the option, if they have a comment or concern, to email feedback@muscatineiowa.gov or pwrequest@muscatineiowa.gov.

MUSCATINE, Iowa – A Muscatine home was damaged during a kitchen morning fire Tuesday (Jan. 18).

The Muscatine County Joint Communications Center (Muscom) received a call at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday of a stove fire at 2810 Broadlawn. Units from the Muscatine Fire Department (MFD) found that the fire had spread throughout the kitchen when they arrived on scene but were able to gain control within five minutes.

While on scene, MFD turned off the electric and gas to the residence as they battled the fire, but some of those utilities were restored ahead of the expected frigid temperatures later this week.

An inspector from the City of Muscatine worked along with Muscatine Power & Water (MPW) staff to determine what, and how much, of the utilities could be restored to prevent more damage to the home due to the expected low temperatures later this week.

One civilian received a minor injury during the fire. There were no injuries to first responders. The Muscatine Police Department assisted at the scene. The Red Cross and 1-800-BoardUp are providing victim assistance.

This is the second residential fire in one week resulting from a stove fire. The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) recommends residents should remain alert while cooking (never coo while sleepy or after having consumed alcohol), stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling food, and keep anything that can catch fire (oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains) away from the stovetop.

With the expected cold temperatures, residents are also reminded that if they use secondary heating sources (fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater) to keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from the heating equipment, plug portable space heaters into a wall outlet, and never use extension cords or power strips that may overheat and cause a fire.

Residents are reminded that working smoke detectors save lives, and to call 9-1-1 to report the fire while safely exiting the structure. Please let the first responders do their job and do not waste time or risk your safety trying to put out the fire.

Home Heating Safety Tips

Cooking Safety Tips

About the Muscatine Fire Department:

The Muscatine Fire Department provides fire and emergency medical services, rescues (high angle, rope, water, etc.), building inspections, and public education for the City of Muscatine, and the surrounding unincorporated areas of Muscatine County with a combined population of 43,000 across 145 square miles while also providing HAZMAT for Muscatine, Louisa, Washington, Keokuk, and Henry counties. MFD firefighters and paramedics responded to 5,238 calls in 2019. The Muscatine Fire Department began as a volunteer fire company on January 7, 1875 and was established as a full-time department in January 1916. The Muscatine Fire Department ambulance service received the 2012 Career Ambulance service of the Year Award from Iowa Emergency Medical Services.