In the town of Rock Valley, Iowa, the home of former Miami Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, his wife Sam, and their children, a weather event has caused significant damage. Heavy rain hit over the weekend, with a reported six inches in 72 hours.
More than the community levee could handle. Early Saturday morning, the levee failed, and the town was underwater. A state of emergency was declared, and the Van Ginkels and other Iowans woke to water pouring into their homes.
Andrew Van Ginkel and his family are safe following the massive flooding in Iowa
Rain has been a big problem for much of the U.S. over the last week. South Florida saw flooding from a stalled system that brought more rain than most areas could handle. In southern Texas, a tropical storm brought more rain to those communities.
Sam Van Ginkel showed what the levee failure did to her house as well as the neighboring community. AVG left the Dolphins as a free agent this past March to join the Vikings and reunite with his former head coach Brian Flores, who is the defensive coordinator for Minnesota now.
Miami fans were not thrilled the Dolphins did not make a decent offer to AVG. In his time with the Dolphins, Van Ginkel showed the abilty to play inside and outside at linebacker and was moved to defensive end in 2023 after Jaelan Phillips was lost for the year. He was extremely versatile for this team and people in the stands loved the effort he brought each Sunday.
The former fifth-round pick in 2019 quickly became a fan favorite with his non-stop effort. He finished his five years in Miami with 17 sacks, 57 quarterback hits, and 250 tackles. The Van Ginkels are asking for prayers for their community during this difficult time.
