Homeowners clean up after voluntary evacuations in Sioux Falls neighborhood

Homeowners are returning to Lotta Street near Minnesota Avenue and I-229 to see how their property faired. Eighty addresses were affected in this area Thursday. Seventeen people voluntarily evacuated while 32 decided to stay at home.

There are signs everywhere that show just how high the water rose in the Sioux Falls neighborhood.

"It's crazy. It's not the type of flooding that we would normally see," Tom Winker said.

He owns a business building and rents out the home next to it on Lotta Street. Winker said he tried to salvage what he could before the water got too high.

"Tried to stop the water from getting into the building with the sandbags I had and didn't achieve much. But it was about 12 to 18 inches deep up there," he said.

He was moving things out while Sioux Falls Fire Rescue evacuated people in the neighborhood.

Jasen Javers decided not to leave Thursday afternoon when Sioux Falls Fire Rescue was doing voluntary evacuations.

"It was up to about two feet from my door about where the step is. A little nerve-racking at first. You know just hoping that everything worked the way it should have and we got lucky and it did," he said.

Javers didn't feel in any danger though, so he watched as his neighbors were taken down the street in boats.

"It was really weird, really different. I know I've never seen that before," he said.

Now there's ice where the water was rushing over the street. But Winker decided to get out his bulldozer to help clear a path.

"You know, neighborhood. Help eachother out," Winker said.

He said he will have to replace trim in the business building, some of the sheetrock and control the mold.