Thousands flee flooded homes in US
The Cedar River, which burst its banks after torrential rain, has forced at least 20,000 people from their homes in the US state of Iowa, officials said today.
The flooding in Iowa is the latest disaster created by severe storms blamed for at least nine deaths in the US Midwest this week.
The rain has also severely damaged the corn crop in Iowa, America's top corn state, and other parts of the Midwest at a time when corn prices are soaring and food shortages have led to violence in some poor countries.
However, officials said it was too soon to put a price tag on the damage.
They estimate it will be four days before the Cedar River drops enough to begin pumping out water that has submerged more than 400 blocks, threatened the city's drinking supply and forced the evacuation of a hospital.
"We're estimating at least a couple of weeks before the flood levels get down right around flood stage and below," said Dustin Hinrichs of the Linn County emergency operations centre.
The Cedar River crested last night at nearly 32ft - 12ft higher than the old record set in 1929.
County Supervisor Linda Langston estimated the number forced from their homes at 20,000 and said that figure could rise as officials got a better grasp of how many neighbourhoods were flooded. Cedar Rapids has a population of about 120,000.
Residents have moved to shelters and hotels and many have moved in with friends and relatives. Driving in the area has been difficult for days but got even worse late yesterday when the Interstate 380 motorway, which links Cedar Rapids to Iowa City, was closed. Earlier, Interstate 80 was closed at Iowa City, blocking a major east-west route through the state.
About 100 miles to the west, Des Moines was dealing with its first major flooding today as water poured out of the Des Moines River and into a small neighbourhood.
Even as the river slowly recedes, officials in Cedar Rapids feared that the city's supply of fresh drinking water would run out.
Bill Stowe, Des Moines' public works director, said he expected extensive damage to about 200 homes in the Birdland neighbourhood.
"There's not anything else we can do," Stowe said.
