More flooding expected to hit Q-C
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By Linda Cook | Monday, June 09, 2008 |
Mason City, Iowa, firefighters check an abandoned car Sunday morning as the floodwaters rise in the area. Buy this Photo
Quad-Citians went to sleep with rain beating on the roof, but their next major focus may be Mississippi River flooding later this week.
Late Sunday, about 3,000 MidAmerican Energy customers in the Quad-Cities were without power — especially in Davenport, Moline and East Moline.
The Mississippi River at Lock and Dam 15 was at 12.42 feet at 6 p.m. Sunday (flood stage is
15.0 feet). The National Weather Service expects the river to reach flood stage Wednesday, then continue to rise until its crest at 17.2 feet sometime Friday.
This is the second episode of flooding this spring. The Mississippi River crested at 19.2 feet on April 30.
At 16.5 feet, water affects Credit Island Lane in Davenport, and the 4700 block of River Drive in Moline. At 17.0 feet, water is over most of Davenport’s LeClaire Park and lower parking lots. When the river reaches 17.5 feet, water affects the railroad tracks in downtown Davenport and River Drive, as well as Leach Park in
Bettendorf.
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver activated the state’s emergency operations center on Sunday as floods continued to ravage parts of northern and eastern Iowa. Culver put 31 counties under an emergency proclamation, allowing them to use state resources for no charge. The state also put its individual disaster assistance program into effect.
Much of that rainfall eventually will get to the Mississippi River.
Emergency crews scrambled late Sunday to respond to reports of downed limbs and live power lines that had fallen because of the storm. The rain continued to fall to add to river and creek levels.
Ann Thelen, director of media relations for MidAmerican Energy Co., said that five MidAmerican circuits tripped and closed as a protective mechanism.
“That was responsible for the bulk of the outages,” she said. “We also had a handful of individual ones, and crews are on the scene.”
According to Linda Engebretson, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, a cold front brought severe thunderstorms to the Quad-City area about 9 p.m. And more storms are on the way today.
“We’re looking at a significant flooding situation,” she said.
If the Mississippi River reaches 17.2 feet, River Drive in Davenport will stay open. Water affects sections of River Drive in downtown Davenport from Gaines Street to 4th Street and affects 2nd Street at Iowa when the Mississippi River reaches 18.0 feet.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers late Sunday announced following closures and impending closures of recreation areas located along the Mississippi River due to current and potential flooding. Included is the Thomson Causeway Recreation Area, at Thomson, Ill., which will close on Tuesday when the main gates to the park are locked. Additionally:
n The Bulger’s Hollow Recreation Area Boat Ramp, north of Clinton, Iowa will close Tuesday.
n The Lock and Dam 13 Recreation Area Boat Ramp, north of Fulton, Ill., will close Tuesday.
n The Cattail Slough Recreation Area in Fulton was closed to the public Sunday.
The Fisherman’s Corner North Recreation Area in Hampton, Ill., will remain open and should not be affected by the flood. As floodwaters rise, more recreation area closures also could become necessary. For more information or questions about any of these closures, contact the Thomson Park Rangers at (815) 259-3628.
Elsewhere in Iowa, the water treatment plant in Mason City, Iowa, has been shut down because of flooding, and residents have been asked not to use water and to stay off the streets until further notice.
Emergency response officials reported severe flooding in many communities in northern Iowa, including a broken levy along the Winnebago River in Mason City. Residents there were told not to drink any tap water or use any toilet water.
Folks in eastern Iowa also dealt with headaches caused by flooding.
The University of Iowa plans to move several classes starting on Tuesday because of flooding threats in Iowa City. Campus employees are being encouraged to consider walking, biking or busing to work to help alleviate traffic pressure on city streets.
The Iowa Department of Transportation also shut down a number of roads around the state late Sunday. The DOT says the saturated ground can’t hold any additional precipitation. Officials have warned that the potential exists for flooding to occur even in areas rarely threatened, and they’re urging people to closely monitor conditions and avoid water-covered roadways.
The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
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