• Brutal storms with heavy rain and tornadoes swept through the Midwestern region of the United States in June 2008, causing massive flooding in several states. Iowa, Illinois and Missouri were particularly hard hit. The Iowa town of Cedar Rapids was inundated with water and evacuated on June 12, 2008.

• Fast Facts

  1. Damage estimates from Iowa flooding more than $1 billionThe Associated Press: Ill. Levee Breach Forces Small Town's Evacuation (June 18, 2008)
  2. Five people killed in Iowa floodingCNN: Flood Shuts Down Mississippi River Bridge (June 17, 2008)
  3. More than 38,000 people displacedCNN: Flood Shuts Down Mississippi River Bridge (June 17, 2008)
  4. Residents in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa, evacuated at height of the flooding
  5. Breached levees in Illinois towns of Gulfport and Meyer forced hundreds of evacuationsThe Associated Press: Ill. Levee Breach Forces Small Town's Evacuation (June 18, 2008)
  6. Feds said 27 levees along the Mississippi River were at risk of overflowingThe Associated Press: Bridge Partly Closed Between Iowa, Illinois (June 17, 2008)
  7. Millions of sandbags were placed to try and shore up leveesThe Associated Press: Bridge Partly Closed Between Iowa, Illinois (June 17, 2008)
  8. The Mississippi River was expected to crest later in the weekThe Associated Press: Ill. Levee Breach Forces Small Town's Evacuation (June 18, 2008)
  9. Damage estimates in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as high as $1 billionDesMoinesRegister.com: Flood Slows Flow of Traffic Across Iowa-Illinois... (June 18, 2008)
  10. Officials estimated 3,900 homes in Cedar Rapids damaged by floodingDesMoinesRegister.com: Flood Slows Flow of Traffic Across Iowa-Illinois... (June 18, 2008)
  11. 1,300 city blocks submerged at the height of the floodingThe Associated Press: Cedar Rapids Flood Recedes But Cleanup Remains (June 15, 2008)

• Broken Levees

  By June 17, 2008, towns along the Mississippi River from Illinois to Missouri were rushing to build barriers to try and hold back rising floodwaters. Federal officials warned as many as 27 levees could overflow as the river continued to rise.The Associated Press: Bridge Partly Closed Between Iowa, Illinois (June 17, 2008)

  By June 18, levees had already broken near the Illinois towns of Gulfport and Meyer. The breaks forced hundreds of evacuations and threatened thousands of acres of farmland.The Associated Press: Ill. Levee Breach Forces Small Town's Evacuation (June 18, 2008)

• Cedar Rapids Flood

  The eastern Iowa city of Cedar Rapids experienced its worst flooding in history in June 2008. By June 16, 2008, more than 36,000 people had been evacuated from their homes in Iowa, and 24,000 in Cedar Rapids.CNN: Police, Troops Keep Residents from Flooded Iowa Homes (June 16, 2008)

  As the floodwaters began to recede, some residents were allowed back into the town to check on homes and businesses. Cedar Rapids officials said property damage in the town could exceed $1 billion.DesMoinesRegister.com: Flood Slows Flow of Traffic Across Iowa-Illinois... (June 18, 2008)

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Cedar Rapids Flood | Mississippi Levees Break | Great River Bridge Collapse | Cedar Rapids Flood Evacuations | Des Moines Flood Evacuations | Floods | Tornadoes | Indiana | Michigan | Iowa | Minnesota | Nebraska | Indianapolis | Iowa City

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