Mahaska County 911 Communications

08/23/2026

08/23/2026 update - The break has been repaired!! Thank you for your patience!!

We have been made aware of a large water main break near the intersection of 1st Ave W and S J St in Oskaloosa. The water department is working on this. Please be patient with them and avoid the area. We will update as soon as we are notified the repairs have been made!

08/12/2026

06/28/2026

If you have to be outside this week, please stay hydrated and take plenty of breaks!!

Here are the forecast heat index values through the week. At the moment, Sunday and Monday have the highest heat indices, though the extreme heat will linger through the end of the work week and through the holiday weekend. Take frequent breaks in A/C, drink plenty of water, and never leave children or pets in a car alone.

06/15/2026

If you have an emergency and you aren't able to get through on 911, please call 641-673-0347!! The phone companies are working to get the issue corrected as quickly as possible!

A warning for central Iowa residents: Some wireless 911 calls aren't reaching dispatch centers. 🚨 Officials are urging people to use a backup emergency number if they can't connect.

STORY: http://www.kcci.com/article/des-moines-911-outage-wireless-calls/71595292

06/11/2026

What a morning in Mahaska County.

Many residents woke up to thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, and strong winds as a line of severe weather moved through the area. Conditions changed quickly, creating hazardous travel conditions and periods of reduced visibility across the county.

Residents may have also heard the outdoor warning sirens this morning. Sirens are designed to alert people who are outdoors to seek shelter and obtain additional weather information.

As the weather clears, please continue to use caution around standing water, debris, and any storm-damaged areas. Remember: Turn Around, Don't Drown. Never drive through flooded roadways, as water depth and road conditions can be difficult to determine.

Thank you to everyone who stayed weather aware this morning. Events like today's storms are a good reminder to have multiple ways to receive weather alerts, including weather radios, smartphone alerts, local media, and trusted weather apps.

With another round of storms coming through this afternoon, remain weather aware and be sure your alerts are working.
Photo Credit: Officer Nord, Oskaloosa Police Dept

06/10/2026

***Outdated Post***

There is a Slight Risk (Level 2 of 5) for severe thunderstorms tonight, with the highest local risk expected in west and northwest Iowa. Storms are most likely to move through overnight between 10:00 PM tonight and 5:00 AM Wednesday, as a warm capping layer aloft keeps the severe threat before sunset very low (under 10%). The primary threats with this system are damaging winds and large hail up to half-dollar size (1.25 inches), with the highest risk of these hazards located over west/northwest Iowa. Secondary hazards include heavy rain capable of producing localized flash flooding or urban street ponding, along with a lower but still possible tornado threat mainly over western Iowa.

06/02/2026

Mahaska County Emergency Management would like to inform the public that a disaster exercise will be taking place tomorrow, June 3rd, in the northwest part of Mahaska County.

The exercise will occur between approximately 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Residents north of Peoria on Hwy T33 near Cordova Ave may notice an increased presence of emergency vehicles and personnel in the area during this time.

For safety and traffic flow purposes, motorists are encouraged to avoid the area if possible.

This is only an exercise and is part of ongoing preparedness and response training for local emergency services and partner agencies.

Thank you for your cooperation and support as we work to strengthen community preparedness.

05/17/2026