Two drownings in the same day cause safety concerns on Iowa's rivers
Recent drownings in Iowa are a reminder of just how dangerous the water can be this time of year especially after all the rain we've got in the last week or so.
Des Moines Police say they did not did not locate a missing 11-year-old girl who fell into the Raccoon River Wednesday night. She is presumed to have drowned.
Meanwhile, Linn County Sheriff's Office has identified another 11-year old who went missing in the Cedar River on Wednesday.
Officials are still searching the river for Zyah Thomas after she drowned at Palisades-Kepler State Park Wednesday.
Data shows the Cedar River is significantly different this year than last July when we were in the middle of a severe drought.
The Cedar River is more than triple its median height, when factoring in 120 years of data.
"No drought conditions, in part due to the very heavy rainfall we've had very recently," Meteorologist Nick Stewart said. "Just in the last thirty days... five to eight inches of rain has pretty much fallen along the Cedar River Valley, and that's why the Cedar River is running much higher than normal compared to this time last year."
North Eastern Iowa is in the middle of one of their wettest July's ever already.
That can mean a lot of problems down river.
"With the under currents you know you can't see that from above," said Linn County Emergency Manager B.J. Dvorak. "So, you know when you start to get in the water or walk across the water the current kind of sweeps ya away."
Officials also say you should never be alone in the river and kids should definitely be with an adult.
You should also have a life vest on and let people know where you'll be and when you'll be back.
