Iowa Flooding Photo Tour

[Lunican]

A railroad crossing sign sticks out of the water along the Mississippi River Tuesday, June 17, 2008, in Burlington, Iowa. The federal government predicts that 27 levees could potentially overflow along the river if the weather forecast is on the mark and a massive sandbagging effort fails to raise the level of the levees, according to a map obtained Monday by The Associated Press.



Pumps work overtime to keep water from the flooded Mississippi River from seeping into a building Tuesday, June 17, 2008, in Burlington, Iowa.



Bryan Schulte keeps watch over a sandbag levee holding back floodwaters from the Mississippi River Tuesday, June 17, 2008, in Burlington, Iowa. On the Illinois side of the river across from Burlington, a levee broke Tuesday morning south of Gulfport, Ill., forcing the closure of a bridge that connects the two cities.



Volunteers load sandbags which will be used to help strengthen a levee June 16, 2008 near Oakville, Iowa. Communities along the Mississippi River in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri are frantically preparing for record flooding as the water continues to rise.



John Brus (L) and Chad Gabeline work late into the evening trying to remove the last of 75,000 bushels of corn stored in grain bins on the farm of Kirk Siegle June 16, 2008 near Oakville, Iowa. Farmers along the Mississippi River in Iowa have been emptying their grain bins and evacuating their livestock as they prepare for record flooding.



A traffic light shows red above a Flooded street in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The city continues to evacuate residents as water from the rain-soaked Cedar River continues to rise.



Cedar Rapids firefighter Jeremy Wagner rescues a cat from the attic of a flooded home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The city continues to search for and evacuate residents as water from the rain-soaked Cedar River continues to rise.



A couple and their baby are stranded on the second floor of apartments in Coralvile, Iowa. Water levels are continuing to rise in the Iowa City, Corvalville area as floodwaters are expected to crest sometime next week. Rescue workers have been pulling people out of their flooded homes.



Cedar Rapids flood victims take refuge in a temporary shelter at the Viola Gibson Grade School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The city continues to search for and evacuate residents as water from the rain-soaked Cedar River continues to rise.



The emergency entrance to Mercy Medical Center is seen under water Friday, June 13, 2008, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Rising water from the Cedar River forced the evacuation of the downtown hospital Friday after residents of more than 3,000 homes fled for higher ground.



A woman is evacuated from Mercy Medical Center Friday, June 13, 2008, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Rising water from the Cedar River forced the evacuation of the downtown hospital Friday after residents of more than 3,000 homes fled for higher ground.



Spc. Scott Wheat, right, rushes to assist Cedar Rapids Firefighter Brent Smith, left, and Sgt. Brandon Adams, second from right, as they carry Louie Moran of Cedar Rapids to safety on 1st Ave W. after being rescued from his home at 814 3rd Ave NE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Thursday evening, June 12, 2008.



A view of downtown Cedar Rapids shows widespread flooding from the Cedar River. Heavy rains continue to pound large portions of Iowa on Thursday.



A wooden pallet floats down a flooded street in downtown Cedar Rapids.



Maria Steele fights back tears after she and her cats Ching, left, and Sushi were rescued from their flooded home.



Justin Jensen, left, of the Cedar Rapids Fire Department and Jake Siggins of the Lisbon, Iowa Fire Department prepare to rescue Tom Van Hoe from his flooded home.



Water pours out of the Coralville Reservoir emergency spillway as flooding continues across Johnson County, north of Iowa City.



Iowa Cubs employees Ross Claussen, right, hands a sandbag to Adam Vick in downtown Des Moines.



Third Avenue leading into downtown Cedar Rapids is shown under water.



Mike Farr and Laura Gilmore comfort each other after Farr re-entered their home for the first time to assess damage and couldn't find their cat, Friday June 13, 2008 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Officials think the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids has crested at records never before seen.



Lisa Eichhorn, left, Ron Thompson and Matt Thompson along with their dog Popeye, walk to dry land after being rescued from their roof in a boat, Friday June 13, 2008 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Officials think the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids has crested at records never before seen



An aerial view shows flooding along the Iowa River June 13, 2008 in Iowa City, Iowa. The Iowa River is expected to continue to rise until next week, threatening the already flooded University of Iowa in Iowa City.



Two-year-old Wyatt Hentges naps on a Red Cross cot in the Prairie High School gymnasium June 13, 2008 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The gymnasium has been converted into an evacuation center for victims of the Cedar River flooding. The city continues to evacuate its residents as water from the rain-soaked Cedar River continues to rise.



Anne Duffield cast a fishing line into the flooded street from the front lawn of her son's home June 13, 2008 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The city continues to recover from some of its worst flooding on record.



Nathan Downey, 9, of Indianola, Iowa, throws a sandbag onto a pile of sandbags in Union Park on Friday, June 13, 2008, in Des Moines, Iowa. Officials said they were urging residents to evacuate more than 200 homes north of downtown because of concerns that the Des Moines River would top a nearby levee.



Ron Dickey watches flood water flow in front of his century-old home June 13, 2008 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The city continues to recover from some of its worst flooding on record.



Jay Kurimski, left, drives his boat alongside a canoe with Steve Elder, rear, Julie Gallagher, middle, and Dan Black, front, as they paddle down Mormon Trek after checking on their businesses, Friday, June 13, 2008 in Coralville, Iowa.

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[Jason]

I'm speechless.

Just imagine the devastation if something like that were to happen here.  I know downtown Jax has flooded before but it was short lived and nowhere near the scale the midwest is experiencing.

[thelakelander]

Wow.  This is much worse than I originally imagined it to be.

[second_pancake]

What a constrast between the way this event is being handled by all parties involved versus what happened in New Orleans.

[Driven1]

What a constrast between the way this event is being handled by all parties involved versus what happened in New Orleans.

yeah...and look at how many deaths.  i think there is 1 so far..if that many.  that's what happens when you have a populace that actually heeds evacuation warnings.  good stuff.  incredible, unbelievable photos.