Hydrologic prediction data from the Iowa River gauge at Columbus Junction, Iowa. The river waters are predicted to be above flood stage until June 26th.
My parents both grew up in Burlington, Iowa. It was the Stoller family weekend destination when I was growing up. My grandparents as well as several other relatives still live there. Fortunately, everyone is safe. The waters that flooded Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Columbus Junction, Oakville and several other towns in Iowa have made their way to the Mississippi River. The floodwaters are impacting communities in the southeastern tip of Iowa as well as in Missouri and Illinois.
As an overflowing Mississippi River was headed for a second record-setting crest, Burlington residents braced for the worst while hoping for floodwaters to make a quick exit.
The Mississippi set a new record with high-water mark of 25.73 on Tuesday. Wednesday, water levels decreased due to a levee break three miles south of Burlington in Illinois.
By later today, the river is expected to climb back up to 25.4 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
“The second crest is a result of the levee break where the water level in Burlington dropped,” said Dan Ferry, meteorologist at the National Weather Service. “All that water has filled in behind those levees, and now it’s making its way back up the Mississippi.”
