Iowa's capital swamped by Midwestern floodwaters [View All]

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, June 14 (Reuters) - A levee holding back rising floodwaters broke and swamped Iowa's capital on Saturday as officials across the U.S. Midwest reinforced levees, helped displaced residents and cleaned up the mess left by the region's worst flooding in 15 years.

The region got a break from the torrential rains and high winds, but some states braced for more rain, which was forecast for Saturday night.

"Thankfully we're having some dry weather right now," said Alan Foster, a spokesman for Iowa's state emergency management office. "But with everything that's flowing ... we're still just hanging on."

In Des Moines, Iowa's capital, a levee holding back the Des Moines River broke overnight, sending water rushing into a neighborhood near downtown.

In Cedar Rapids, the state's second-largest city, the waters of the swollen Cedar River crested overnight. But more than 400 city blocks remain waterlogged and 24,000 people have been forced from their homes.

In Quincy, Illinois, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama joined volunteers and filled sandbags to hold back the Mississippi River. Republican presidential candidate John McCain issued a statement expressing sympathy for the flood victims.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN14403554