Jun 19, 2008 6:31 pm US/Mountain
Iowa Woman Waits Out Floods In Centennial
Mississippi River Continues To Rise, Damage Spreads Downstream
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) ―
An Iowa resident whose hometown has been devastated by flooding is spending time this week with family in Centennial.
Many Iowans like Mary Jo Graham have seen their towns turned upside down in a matter of days this month. The surge that flooded her hometown of Davenport and other towns in her state is now headed south into Missouri.
People living close to the Mississippi River continue to pile sandbags along its banks in hope of saving what they can. Nearly a dozen levees have broken in recent days along the river. Folks downstream are also preparing for what forecasters say could be record crests.
The damage in Iowa alone is expected to climb above $2 billion. It's a disaster that the state has not seen since the great flood of 1993.
Graham left Davenport knowing her home is safe, but she doesn't know what the town will look like when she gets back.
"We were up on the sky bridge and surveying the damage in awe, and along comes a pelican and scoops up a fish a couple of streets into Davenport. ... It's unreal," she said.
She says Iowans are resilient, especially those who live along the river and have lived through flooding before. She says keeping a sense of humor helps, too.
Graham showed CBS4 photos that displayed the state of her hometown.
"Several blocks in the downtown area are completely under water and they are detouring all the traffic around, which causes traffic jams everywhere," she said.
President Bush toured parts of flood-ravaged Iowa Thursday. He promised federal help for the devastated areas and reminded Iowans that they're tough minded people and will survive this.
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