Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Floodwaters Engulf Iowa's 'Flood-Proof' City

'500-year flood' swamps Cedar Rapids' defenses

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 13, 2008 7:05 AM CDT

(Newser) – The Cedar River has burst its banks and deluged Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the Des Moines Register reports. About 9,000 people have been evacuated—including more than 170 from a hospital—and most of the city's downtown is under water. The river is still rising... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

There are no comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Cops Shoot Naked Guy Eating Man's Face on Highway

Japanese Artist Serves Up Own Cooked Genitals

Des Moines Register (Source Grid »)
New York Times (Source Grid »)
Associated Press (Source Grid »)

This city wasn't supposed to flood
New York Times

'Unthinkable' flooding strikes Cedar Rapids
Gazette (Cedar Rapids)

Midwestern flooding may not crest until Sunday
Chicago Tribune

Iowa • severe weather • flood • Cedar Rapids • flooding • levees

More Newser Stories

Levees Crumbling, Midwest Struggles to Stem Tide

Aging infrastructure is barely coping with severe weather

(NEWSER) - The worst flooding in 15 years has exposed some serious vulnerabilities in the Midwest's aging infrastructure, the Chicago Tribune reports. Levees, bridges, and dams, some a century old, are barely coping with severe storms—while some are collapsing completely. Dikes and levees broke in several states last week after torrential rains, destroying homes and flooding farmland. More»

River Overflows Missouri Levee; Collapse Feared

Severe storms won't let up in soaked Ohio, Miss. River valleys

(AP) - Thousands of southeastern Missouri residents watched helplessly today as Black River water crept toward their homes after overflowing the levee protecting their town, as officials predicted a "catastrophic failure." Several homes in and around Poplar Bluff were partially submerged, while water filled the front yards of other houses. The river topped the levee in multiple spots, raising concerns that it would give way under the weight of inch after inch of rain that has been falling since the weekend. "It was too late for sandbagging. There are too many places. All we can do is wait and see," Police Chief Danny Whiteley said. A levee break would send water flowing into the city's south side and likely displace about 7,000 people. More»

Flood Recedes, But Only 1 Well Remains

Cedar Rapids restricts water use for next few days

(NEWSER) - Floodwaters receded today after 24,000 people fled Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but only one well is uncontaminated to service the city, CNN reports. Officials say it will run down if people take showers and flush toilets over the next 3 or 4 days. "Water is still our primary concern," one said. "We're still using water at a greater rate than we're producing." More»

Floods Breach Des Moines Levee

Authorities call for mandatory evacuation of area

(NEWSER) - Floodwaters breached a levee and a temporary barrier today near a residential neighborhood in Des Moines, forcing authorities to call for a mandatory evacuation of 270 homes, the AP reports. “There’s not anything else we can do,” said a city official. Storms throughout the region have killed nine, and officials have cut power service and are bracing for the worst. More»

Bangkok Grapples With Floods

High waters close Don Muang airport

(NEWSER) - Bangkok is slowly being flooded by waters seeping into the Thai capital from the waterlogged center of the country on their way to the Gulf of Thailand. The flooding, the worst the city has seen in at least 70 years, has severed road and rail links and forced the government to take steps to tackle widespread food and water shortages, Bloomberg reports. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Floodwaters Engulf Iowa's 'Flood-Proof' City

'500-year flood' swamps Cedar Rapids' defenses

Iowa • severe weather • flood • Cedar Rapids • flooding • levees

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Levees Crumbling, Midwest Struggles to Stem Tide

Aging infrastructure is barely coping with severe weather

River Overflows Missouri Levee; Collapse Feared

Severe storms won't let up in soaked Ohio, Miss. River valleys

Flood Recedes, But Only 1 Well Remains

Cedar Rapids restricts water use for next few days

Floods Breach Des Moines Levee

Authorities call for mandatory evacuation of area

Bangkok Grapples With Floods

High waters close Don Muang airport

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?