Palo, a community of roughly 900 people just northwest of Cedar Rapids and home to Iowa’s only nuclear power facility, has just been given a mandatory evacuation notice by Linn County Emergency Management due to flooding from the Cedar River.

The Duane Arnold Nuclear Energy Center is a single-unit plant, located on a 500-acre site in Palo. The majority owner is Alliant Energy FPL Energy, which holds 70 percent. Central Iowa Power Cooperative and Corn Belt Power Cooperative also have small stakes.

A spokesman for the Linn County Sheriff’s Office said the plant is not in danger of being flooded, and that plant management has taken steps to ensure safe operation throughout the crisis.

Residents are instructed to pack necessary items including blankets, medical supplies and prescriptions, personal care items and special foods. Once packed, residents should turn off any appliances, plug floor drains and lock all doors and windows. A white cloth should be attached near the front of the home so that emergency workers know the property has been evacuated. Residents who are aware of elderly and/or handicapped neighbors are encouraged to check on those individuals.

Roosevelt Middle School, located at 300 13th St. NW in Cedar Rapids, is open to house evacuees. Pets in need of a place to stay should be taken to the Cedar Valley Humane Society, located on Mount Vernon Road just east of Hwy 13.

Residents in need of transportation should contact Linn County Emergency Management at (319) 363-2671.

Water from the Cedar River is expected to reach levels two feet higher than it did during the flood of 1993.