Chronic Flooding in Iowa Town Forcing Residents Out

The southwest Iowa town of Hamburg may lose many of its roughly 1,100 residents after the summer-long flood along the Missouri River.

Floodwaters have limited access to the town since June, and earlier this month ConAgra Foods announced it would close its microwave popcorn plant and eliminate 95 Hamburg jobs.

Several real estate agents told Omaha television station KMTV that the number of homes currently on the market is higher than normal.

Candy Bradley and her husband are trying to sell because they’re tired of dealing with flooding, which is a chronic problem in Hamburg.

John Sheldon with Green Valley Realty says the number of people wanting to sell is up about 20 percent.

Sheldon says it will be important to rebuild Highway 2 into Nebraska.