Winneshiek County has a new tool in the fight against flooding

The next time it floods in Winneshiek County, emergency government officials will have a new tool in the fight against rising waters.

Winneshiek County Emergency Management on Tuesday evening showed off its new "Megga Bagger," a unit which can make up to 3,400 sandbags in one hour.

Emergency Management Coordinator Sean Snyder says he purchased the machine from a place in Washington State because the machine is mounted on a trailer which can be driven anywhere in the county.

The unit cost just under $30,000 and was paid with contributions from many sources.  The Winneshiek County Community Foundation contributed just under $12,000; Winneshiek County chipped in $10,000; Luther College contributed $3,000 and several other organizations made up the remaining $5,000.

Snyder says the new unit can be taken to Kendallville, Spillville, Freeport--anywhere rising waters are threatening homes and other buildings.  The unit needs just one driver, with volunteers doing the work of filling the sandbags.

City Street Commissioner Kevin Nelson and KVIK's Janelle Halverson try their hand at sandbagging

Supervisor Mark Kuhn sandbags

Sheriff Dan Marx lends a hand