Huge Chunks of Ice Clog Des Moines River

An ice jam clogged the Des Moines River in Ottumwa, Iowa, on Monday, March 12.

This footage, filmed by Ottumwa Water Works production manager Tim Albert, shows the ice flow breaking as it passes downstream.

Witnessing the huge ice chunks flow downriver was an “amazing experience”, Albert said.

It was the first ice jam in Ottumwa for many years. National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donavon said he had rarely seen the phenomenon over the course of 15 years living in central Iowa, according to a report from the Des Moines Register.

The ice flow broke up the following day. Credit: Tim Albert via Storyful