MASON CITY – The latest violent snowstorm coupled with brutal cold served up this winter is causing major problems across the North Iowa region.
Travel in and out of towns has ground to a virtual halt. Power has been on and off for residents in Mason City and other areas. Transformer fires were reported Thursday.
Brutal cold has frozen water lines throughout the area. Some in Mason City have been without water for days. City hall said that the water mains are the city’s problem and private water lines are the responsibility of the property owner.
In the area of the 1700-1800 blocks of North Pennsylvania Avenue, residents have expressed frustration with city hall for not helping them. They last had water last Saturday.
A desperate mom told NIT on February 19th that the city “could at least supply us with drums of water to flush our toilets. I still have one minor child in the house. I called the Water Company today because I know the weather is supposed to get bad again. If I knew I was on some kind of waiting list, that there are others ahead of me, that don’t have water, it would be a different story, but all they say is it will be at least a couple more days. I said, ‘can you give me a day when your going to be here?’ He said, ‘You will know when we are there.’ I said that wasn’t my question I wanna know when you’re going to address this issue. He said, “It will be at least a couple more days.'”
As of Friday, the mom still had no water at her home, she reported to NIT. They were getting by as best they could.
Heavy snow pelted North Iowa again Thursday, February 20th. Thunder could be heard as the snow picked up in intensity. A fire in Northwood didn’t help, as residents of that town fled and some became stuck with no where to go, or had trouble returning home.
Schools closed and people had trouble getting to and from work both Thursday and Friday as dangerous winds picked up speed and the temperature dropped. Numerous vehicles again became stuck. The heavy snow forced some to take to walking, sometimes in the streets. A man was struck and killed Wednesday evening before the storm as he walked in the street on Monroe Avenue in Mason City. Snow was piled high on both sides of the road, which has no sidewalk.
Snowmobilers have had the best of luck, taking to streets and fields with glee. Others have made the best of the situation, stocking up on groceries, gas and oil for lights as the power comes and goes.
Some people built snowmen and snow sculptures, others cleared the snow and shot hoops. Drew Sokol and Anothony Starbuck were in East Park Thursday, building a snowman.
“It’s for the kids,” they said. “They asked us how to build one.”
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