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No deaths or serious injuries, still making area safe

Marshalltown Mayor Joel Greer reported no known casualties on Friday morning.

At that time, only minor injuries had been reported.

Pam Delagardello, president and CEO of UnityPoint Health – Waterloo region, reported that the Marshalltown hospital, UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown, had taken a direct hit.

She said 43 patients needed to be transferred to other facilities.

No staff or patients were injured, Delagardello reported.

She said the hospital is open 24/7 for emergency services and urgent care services.

“If someone has an emergency, please call 911,” Delagardello said.

Walk-in patients are to be directed to the south campus, she said.

All elective surgeries and procedures were canceled Friday.

McFarland Clinic’s 312 East Main Street office was also hit by the storm. They announced that the office will be open for patient care on Monday.

To assist the community with additional medical services, McFarland Clinic will have appointment times available on Saturday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Southside Office located at 303 Nicholas Drive.

· McFarland Southside Office: Saturday, July 21 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 641-752-0099

· McFarland Express Care Hy-Vee: Saturday, July 21 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 22 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 641-844-5200

Power outages

Just under 6,000 Alliant Energy customers in Marshalltown remain without power Friday afternoon, according to Alliant spokesperson Justin Foss.

Foss said more than 4,000 customers have been restored in the impacted area on the north side of Marshalltown.

“With the extent of damage here we’re going to have to rebuild from scratch in some areas,” Foss said.

The city will see a strong presence of workers in the area for what Foss called a multi-day recovery effort. Crews are working from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, he said.

Residents should not expect gas to be turned back on today or possibly tomorrow, Foss said.

“We’re still in the assessing phase,” he said. “We completed our system safety procedures and we’re finishing up back work on that and beginning repairs.”

Main Street businesses have underline power lines, but there is no timeline for power to be restored at this time.

Delagardello complimented the efforts of first responders.

“We couldn’t have done it without support from local EMS, fire, and law enforcement,” she said. “EMS from as far north as Waterloo made it here. The support has been tremendous.”

Avoid scams

Marshalltown Police offered the following advise to avoid scams when seeking help recovering.

Research the business-Obtain the contractor’s name, address, and telephone number. Check with the Better Business Bureau, conduct a basic internet search and ask for references.

Get several estimates and be cautious of a contractor who quotes a price drastically less than others.

Do not make large payments in advance, be wary of contractors who ask you to sign over your insurance check or ask you to establish a line of credit with a local lumber store.

Insist on a written contract detailing the costs, the work to be done, the starting and ending dates and any verbal promises made by the contractors.

Consider paying with a credit card as this may give you greater protections to dispute unauthorized charges, which paying with cash does not.

“If a contractor’s promises seem too good to be true, they probably are,” MPD said in its press release. “If you believe you have been scammed, please call the Department as soon as possible as this will give us a better chance to prevent further scams and apprehend those responsible.”

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