CEDAR RAPIDS - Rising flood waters swamped the river city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa Friday, forcing residents to flee their homes, and officials to abandon city hall amid a crisis that has left 15 people dead.
Nothing could stop the water. Not sandbags. Not levees. Not prayers.
"We've been in a major flood fight for about 10 days now," said Bret Voorhees, spokesman for the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
"Nine of our major rivers are at record or new record levels," he told AFP.
"We're designating it a 500-year flood."
The disaster began when a major tornado struck on May 25. Then the rain started. And didn't stop. On Wednesday another tornado struck, killing four Boy Scouts. And more thunderstorms are predicted for Saturday.
A total of 15 lives have been lost and thousands were left homeless, Voorhees said.
Ten counties were under mandatory evacuation orders and 83 counties had been declared federal disaster areas.
"We're trapped with nowhere to go," said Gloria Hines, who lives about a dozen blocks from where the river spilled over in Cedar Rapids.
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