Volunteers build a sandbag barrier as the Shell Rock River rises over West Traer Street Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016 in downtown Greene, Iowa.
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The river has already left its banks upstream, forcing evacuations in several communities upstream along its path through northeastern Iowa. Menne was reported missing about 7 p.m., and his body was found about two hours later. Noting the possibility of even more rain in the area, forecasters said at least moderate flooding was likely in several areas, including Cedar Falls, Waterloo and Cedar Rapids.
Authorities said another resident, 53-year-old Michael McDonald, died Thursday after his house slid down the side of a bluff and onto state Highway 35.
In Iowa, Cedar Falls officials have been talking to residents in low-lying neighborhoods about the rising waters and their option to evacuate.
Cedar Rapids is now working on deploying pumps, plugging sewers and sandbagging and is evaluating where to set up temporary flood barriers called HESCO barriers, said Jen Winter, the city public works director. The weather service said the river was expected to crest at 97.6 feet Saturday morning – a little less than 5 feet below the record crest of 102.1 feet in June 2008.
In news that brings back painful memories of the 2008 flood, officials announced that the Cedar River is expected to rise above flood stage Sunday and reach 24.1 feet Tuesday morning, impacting businesses and homes in Downtown Cedar Rapids. For an idea of how high the water might get, at 24.2 feet the water would reach the bottom of the 1st Avenue bridge downtown, according to the National Weather Service.
Parts of northern Iowa and southern Minnesota received several inches of rain at midweek, with two-day rain totals topping 10 inches (25 cm) in some areas, meteorologists said.
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Some of the areas included are the downtown core and the Newbo area.
