Iowa City's flood protections face a marathon test

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- More than 36,000 residents in 26 Iowa towns are out of their homes this morning. Most are from around Cedar Rapids. Folks in Iowa City have to wait until tonight before the Iowa

Monday, June 16th 2008, 10:28 am

By: News 9


IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- More than 36,000 residents in 26 Iowa towns are out of their homes this morning. Most are from around Cedar Rapids.

Folks in Iowa City have to wait until tonight before the Iowa River is expected to start receding. Hundreds of homes were evacuated yesterday, but it's not known how many suffered damage.

State officials are also warning of problems facing towns in southeastern Iowa along the Mississippi River.

They're sandbagging in Burlington, where the river is already rising. So far, 350 people have been evacuated from their homes there.

Sandbagging is also under way in Ottumwa to protect the city's water treatment plant. Yesterday eight people were pulled from the Des Moines River there after their boat capsized.

Across the Mississippi in Illinois, over 400 members of the Army National Guard are sandbagging in Quincy. About 100 miles up the river in Keithsburg, Illinois, water sits as high as 3 or 4 feet. Multiple levee breaks prompted voluntary weekend evacuations.

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