Residents were told to evacuate certain parts of Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Sunday (September 25) evening due to the risk of flooding from the rising Cedar River.
“We really need you to evacuate later today. It’s important for your safety and also important for the safety of the emergency personnel. We do not want to put them in harm’s way,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett.
Residents helped each other fill sandbags around the area, as the rain-swollen city prepared for what is expected to be the worst flooding since 2008, when the region was devastated by rising waters.
“We are very fortunate, we live on the northeast side, so I can just imagine the amount of things that people are going through right now, all the anxiety. So anything that we can help with, we’re going to help them save their houses and their properties,” said one resident.
City officials and volunteers have been working for days to build a temporary system of levees to try to contain the impending floodwaters.
“This is the last day to get all the work done that needs to be done,” said Corbett.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016
