Area hit yet again with flooding

The disbelief in Jay Jurrens’ voice on Thursday morning came through loud and clear over the phone.The New Hampton superintendent was somewhere near Ionia, seeing if there was any chance that classes could be held, as he talked about the latest round of flooding that hit Chickasaw County.“I honestly can’t believe we’re going through this for a third time,” Jurrens said. “This morning when I first went out, water was running over Highway 18 by the brick schoolhouse [at the North Washington turn). It’s crazy.”He had plenty of company when it came to that sentiment.For the third time in less than a month, Chickasaw County was hit with major flooding, and for the second time this school year, Jurrens pulled the plug on a school day.And it was worse elsewhere in the county. While New Hampton received 3.62 inches of rain, Ionia got 6.24 and Nashua reported more than 7.5 inches as another "train" of thunderstorms moved through the area Wednesday night.Volunteers are working to help sandbag homes and property from Ionia to Nashua and numerous roads remain closed.Officials cancelled New Hampton's homecoming parade that was set for Thursday night, but a community-wide pep assembly and the king coronation will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. Meanwhile, Nashua-Plainfield's volleyball match with St. Ansgar set for Thursday and the Huskies' football game at North Butler scheduled for Friday have been postponed.— For more on this story, see the Sept. 23 Tribune