People in the city of Davenport have watched as the water level of the Mississippi River has continued to rise over the past few weeks, flooding their local homes and businesses.
The rising water was kept at bay by the use of temporary barriers and sandbags, lined up along the river. However, this attempt at handling the water did not work successfully; instead, the barrier broke, sending residents of Davenport into a panic.
The Mississippi River’s water level has reached an all time high since 1993. In July of 1993, the levels reached 22.63 feet above normal levels; recently, the levels were recorded to be 22.64 feet high and are expected to continue to rise up to 22.7 feet.
The media coverage on the flooding of Davenport has increased immensely. Several big news networks have reported, including New York Times, Now This, CNN, and many more.
On Friday, May 3, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds assessed the current flooding damage done to the businesses and homes that lay alongside Mississippi River.
Reynolds toured the downtown area of Davenport. “I’ve seen it over and over as I’ve been on the western side of the state, as I dealt with tornadoes early on and the devastation from them and now the impact over here,” she said.
Davenport is not the only city that has been affected by the overwhelming flooding of the Mississippi River. Currently 61 out of 99 of Iowa’s counties are labeled as disaster areas by state or federal officials.
While the flooding has been affecting the people of Davenport, it has also been affecting those in Bettendorf. Many students at Pleasant Valley High School were worried about whether the prom, set on May 4, would have a change in location. The prom was scheduled at the River Center, located in Davenport.
This worry was brought on by Mike Zimmer, the principal of the PV high school, after he told his students that if water levels continued to increase, the prom would be moved to the PV high school’s gym.
PV senior, Peyton Haas, was happy that the event was held at the RiverCenter. “I was glad that it was at RiverCenter instead of the high school. It made the night more fun and special than at the high school, especially considering the fact that Right After Prom (RAP) was at the high school,” she said.
Fortunately, there had been no serious flooding damage at the River Center, so PV students were therefore able to attend prom there.
