MASON CITY – There is a flash flood warning in Cerro Gordo county at this time, and the Mason City Library has become the latest casualty due to the heavy rains.
NIT has learned that the Mason City library will be closed today and tomorrow, (Friday and Saturday, June 8 and 9, 2018) due to interior flooding.
Library Director Mary Makwalter says “the roof drains in the roof over the Great Reading Room have failed. We have been fighting this problem for the past 2 weeks and the heavy rains during the night has caused more extensive damage.”
There are movers at the library now, NIT is told, trying to save items from loss.
“We are having movers come and get some of the furniture until we can get leaking stopped,” Mrs. Markwalter said this morning. “We have workmen on site now diagnosing the problem(s) and draining the water from the building. Our insurance carrier has been contacted. Library Staff is working.”
Rains may continue for the next several days in the area. Many structures are experiencing water in basements. Lighting and thunder have been heavy over night as the rain continues to pour down. Mason City, Clear Lake, Manly and many surrounding town have been hit hard by high winds as well, downing trees and causing siding and shingles to blow off of buildings.
The current flash flood warning is in effect in Cerro Gordo county until 2 PM.
NIT has also learned that Effectively immediately, Due to the extremely high water, the Shell Rock River Greenbelt Roads and Wilkinson Park road along the river have been closed.
In all the years the library has been there I have never heard this before. Poor management???
maybe neglect?? leafs in the scudders which were not properly cleaned out last fall, lazy maintenance personell
…if remember right, when the new roof was install, several people showed concern that the roof was not installed properly…was this flooding part of that improper install???
Did you or did you not have that place remodeled a few years back -? Was the work or workmanship what is causing this latest problem -Oh well just throw another 1 million at it –