Floods Worsen

Iowa:

The streets in Cedar Rapids, Iowa - all 400 blocks of them - were filled with floodwaters and other strange sights: floating Dumpsters and utility poles and sandbags piled in vain.

The cresting Cedar River wreaked widespread havoc Friday on Iowa's second-largest city, forcing the evacuation of 3,000 homes and a downtown hospital while collapsing a railroad bridge.

Houseboats were swept away as the fast-rising river created a lake in downtown Cedar Rapids, where a breach in the levee turned roadways into waterways.

It was the worst Midwest flooding in 15 years, when the Cedar River crested at just over 19 feet - compared with a crest of more than 31 feet yesterday.

NY Daily News

Rockford:

Volunteers and homeowners bagged sand Saturday in a parking lot off of North Second Street, while rising floodwaters continued to threaten property along the Rock River.

Floodwaters rose at least three feet in some areas and will continue to rise until the river is expected to crest Tuesday. Saturday night, the river was threatening to inundate Bridge Street in Roscoe, reaching the road’s shoulder by 6 p.m.

AccuWeather.com had good news for beleaguered residents. A heavy thunderstorm was expected Saturday night and another today. But there is no more rain in the forecast until June 26.

Register Star

There is a thunderstorm outside and it's raining as I type this!
DKK

Major Flooding Gets Worse!

Rising water from the Cedar River forced the evacuation of a downtown hospital today after residents of more than 3,000 homes fled for higher ground. A railroad bridge collapsed, and 400 city blocks were under water.

In Des Moines, 100 miles to the southwest, officials issued a voluntary evacuation order for much of downtown and other areas bordering the Des Moines River. Mayor Frank Cownie said the evacuations were an attempt “to err on the side of citizens and residents.”

Des Moines is Iowa’s capital and largest city, with about 190,000 residents. But the hardest-hit was Cedar Rapids, a city of 124,000 people.

Gov. Chet Culver declared 83 of the state’s 99 counties to be state disaster areas, and nine rivers were at or above historic flood levels. Elsewhere in the upper Midwest, rivers and streams tipping their banks forced evacuations, closed roads, and even threatened drinking water.

RRStar - Associated Press

13 WREX-13, Maverick Media & the Rockford Register Star have partnered with Gypsum Supply to help Iowa residents who have been devastated by the floods.
(...)
That’s why we’re stepping in to offer aid, but we need your help. Drop off your donations at the Gypsum Supply truck at Gustafson’s Furniture in the North Towne Shopping Plaza through Saturday morning.

Supplies needed include: Bottled water, Gatorade, work gloves, shovels and ice.
Please do your part in helping those in need.

RRStar

Local Rockford rivers are approaching major flood stage and are closed to river traffic. Use care near the rivers.

Also included in the first RRStar story above is this fabulous picture of a tornado:Please donate what you can, water, leather gloves, shovels -- and be prepared for what may be dangerous flooding here.
DKK