Historic storm passes but cleanup remains

DES MOINES (AP) - A blizzard that closed highways, schools and businesses moved out of Iowa on Wednesday after dropping nearly 2 feet of snow on parts of the state, and at least one mayor considered seeking help from the National Guard in efforts to clear the roads.

State transportation officials said gusty winds persisted on Wednesday, causing many roads to remain closed in eastern Iowa. Road crews, which were pulled off the highways late Tuesday, were back at work, but clearing drifts and abandoned cars could take several days.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety said during the storm from Tuesday to Wednesday morning, the Iowa State Patrol assisted nearly 300 stranded motorists, including one of their own troopers whose squad car was stuck in the snow.

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The National Weather Service in Davenport on Wednesday reported 17.5 inches of snow in Keokuk, a city of around 11,000 on the Mississippi River. It was the highest snowfall reported in southeast Iowa, which took the brunt of the storm.

The city's mayor, Tom Marion, initially said a 46-year-old man shoveling snow from a neighbor's driveway died of an apparent heart attack, but he later corrected the information, saying it was "miscommunication." The man was treated for chest pains but didn't have a heart attack or require hospitalization, Marion said.

But the damage in Keokuk was extensive, with the storm leaving behind huge drifts and burying countless cars under piles of snow.

"It's real tough for us right now," he said, noting the city may have to ask the state for help in loading up the snow and carrying it to the Mississippi River.

A National Weather Service blizzard warning for eastern Iowa expired at noon. But there will be brisk winds sure to blow snow into the faces of people trying to dig out their driveways or recover vehicles abandoned on closed-down roadways.

Marion said the 17.5 inches of snow was the most in the city since a storm dumped over a foot in 1978, and he may need some help getting rid of it.

In 1978, he said, some Iowa National Guard troops based in Keokuk helped dig them out, using heavy equipment. This time, the troops are deployed.

"We have a National Guard Armory here and they were able to help, but they're stationed in Afghanistan," he said.

Marion said city crews were making progress on Wednesday clearing some 200 miles of streets, but he may ask Gov. Terry Branstad for a disaster declaration. That would open the door for help from the Iowa National Guard soldiers stationed in other cities to bring heavy equipment and provide specialized services, such as clearing roads or handing out water.

Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht said the state had not been asked for help from any city or county yet, but officials were monitoring the situation and was ready to act.

The storm was part of a more than 2,000-mile long system that reached from Texas to New England, dumping more than two feet of snow in several states and essentially shutting down cities from Tulsa, Okla., to Chicago.

Lt. Brian Rauch of the Scott County Sheriff's Office said snowbound vehicles had created what looked like a scene from a Hollywood disaster flick on U.S. Highway 61 north of Davenport.

"Pretty much everything in eastern Iowa is shut down," he said early Wednesday, referring to Iowa Transportation Department reports of several closed highways, including Interstate 80.

"It looks like an apocalypse with the cars stuck on the highway," Rauch said. "There's drifts that are eight, nine feet near some buildings."

Earlier Wednesday morning, his office sent out a warning: "Do not travel in Scott County." And if you do, the warning said, "we will not be able to reach you until the roads are clear."

Scott County deputies had gotten stuck as well overnight as they tried to rescue stranded motorists.

"Our local snowmobile club had to go out and rescue one of our deputies," Rauch said. The deputy was dropped off at a farmhouse for safety.

Despite the whiteout, stubborn drifts and slickened roads, Rauch said, he's see no reports of major injury accidents in Scott County.

The Weather Service said snowfall totals in eastern Iowa ranged from 9 inches in Cedar Rapids to the 17.5 inches in Keokuk.

In Davenport, meteorologist Linda Engebretson said the wind continued to be a big problem.

Gusts to 30 mph were expected to continue Wednesday, heaping new snow into drifts cleared away earlier.

She attested to the tough driving conditions: A fellow National Weather Service meteorologist couldn't make it into the office for work. He didn't even try, she said, because the roads were too bad.

Snowfall totals

Here are preliminary storm snowfall totals from KCRG-TV9's Weather Water Cooler blog:

• 17.5 LOWDEN
• 15.0 ANAMOSA
• 14.0 2 NE CALAMUS
• 14.0 WASHINGTON
• 14.0 MOUNT PLEASANT
• 13.6 3 SSW CENTER JUNCTION
• 13.5 SE STANWOOD
• 13.0 DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT
• 13.0 HOLLAND
• 13.0 LISBON
• 13.0 PALO
• 12.4 2 NNW WILLIAMSTOWN
• 12.2 E SOLON
• 12.0 OLIN
• 12.0 SOLON
• 12.0 VICTOR
• 11.5 2 W DUBUQUE
• 11.0 1 W ELMIRA
• 11.0 1 SE VINTON
• 10.7 SWISHER
• 10.5 BELLE PLAINE
• 10.0 OSKALOOSA
• 10.0 E SOLON
• 10.0 IOWA CITY
• 10.0 MOUNT AUBURN
• 9.5 GALENA
• 9.5 1 WSW IOWA CITY
• 9.5 3 NNW CEDAR RAPIDS
• 9.0 TOLEDO
• 9.0 2 NW MARION
• 8.8 HAZLETON
• 7.5 6 SSW ELKADER
• 4.0 GUTTENBERG
• 3.5 FAYETTE
• 1.5 CRESCO

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