ALGONA, IA--
“This is definitely out of the ordinary, we haven't had to do this before,” said Linda Adams, the store manager at the Kmart in Algona.Customers rolling into the Algona Kmart may notice a few changes over the next few days. “There's definitely things missing, so they will definitely know that there's things missing, but we're still open and all our hard goods are still here,” said Adams.
While food and other similar items are still available, they've moved some merchandise--like clothing---in trailers for safe keeping at the Mason City Kmart until the threat passes.“It's been a challenge,” she said.
But one they're taking seriously. “Have raised things off the floor, in the back of the stock room everything's up so that if we did get water we would be okay back there,” she said.
They're mostly worried about higher water levels from the Des Moines River, which is behind the building. But they've also got water-logged ditches on the front. “We have some corporate support people here, we have lots of people from other stores, things like that helping out,” said Adams.
“The river in our area is very flat, very marshy and so that area will fill up quite quickly and spill over into their parking lots,” said Cole O’Donnell, the city administrator.
O' Donnell estimates around 15 or 20 businesses in Algona could be affected. That's why some, like Kmart, are stocking up on sandbags in advance. “If we would get water in the store there would be special things we'd have to do but right now we're trying to do business as usual as much as possible,” said Adams. “I will be thrilled when this is all over and we can get back to normal,” she said.
