Davenport awaits flood crest with just inches to spare

A man walks down a flooded street in Campbell's Island, Illinois, on Monday

In this story: Levels will stay high Federal bailout pays for the view RELATED STORIES, SITES

DAVENPORT, Iowa (CNN) -- The only major town on the upper Mississippi without a permanent flood wall, a slightly warmer Davenport stepped into the sun on Tuesday to watch the water rise.

High winds on Monday had taken the wind chill below freezing, but on Tuesday the winds were calmer and the sun was ready to warm the city into the 60s.

"We look pretty good here this morning," said city spokeswoman Jennifer Nahra, "The winds have calmed down. It's a bright sunny day. Things look good."

The flood was expected to crest late Tuesday just short of both a record and the height of the makeshift levee that was the only barrier between the swollen river and downtown.

VIDEO Davenport may flood because the city government prefers tourist and business dollars over an occasional disaster. CNN's Lilian Kim reports Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Bob Franken reports on flooding in the town of Davenport, Iowa Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)    INTERACTIVE Techniques for fighting floodwaters    CNN WEATHER FORECASTS Davenport, IA La Crosse, WI Shakopee, WI Grand Forks, ND Granite Falls, MN    RESOURCES CNN weather satellite: U.S. North Central TheIowaChannel.com - Worst Mississippi Flooding Hitting Quad Cities

The sandbags piled alongside the river would withstand a river level at 23 feet -- inches above the 1993 high water mark of 22.63 feet and the expected crest of 22.5 feet.

But sandbags are a temporary measure, and upstream levees protecting several smaller towns have already failed.

"My concern is the dike," said Steve Zuidema, owner of Davenport's Front Street Brewery. "If the dike goes, there's nothing we can do about saving the building."

On the other side of the dike that was keeping the water away from Zuidema's brew pub, some of his fellow business owners had already lost the battle.

Upstream in Albany, Illinois, the dike didn't hold.

"What makes me feel so bad is all the volunteer hours were for nothing," Karen Quick told the Quad City Times as she looked over damage to the business she and her husband own near downtown. "People gave so much of themselves for all of us."

Levels will stay high

Downstream in Davenport, the city had already lost its battle to keep the Mississippi out of John O'Donnell Stadium, home of the minor league baseball Quad City River Bandits. With the water lapping at the top of the outfield fence, the Bandits have moved their home games to stadiums farther from the river.

And the levee wasn't the only worry -- behind the dikes, river water flooded the city's storm sewer system, bubbling up through manhole covers and buckling streets with its tremendous drive to get out.

Bolstered by 180 National Guardsmen, volunteers in downtown Davenport maintained a wary vigil overnight. With the floodwaters expected to remain at crest level for as long as 36 hours before starting a slow retreat, that vigil was far from over.

As dawn broke over the river and the city it besieged, river monitors reported that by their observations, the water level had dropped a few inches -- although the report was unofficial.

Such a drop could mean that the crest had passed earlier than expected -- or that a break in a levee upstream had temporarily eased the pressure on Davenport's dikes.

Federal bailout pays for the view

And while the city struggled and hoped, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director Joe Allbaugh criticized the city for failing to build a permanent wall to keep out the flood-prone river. FEMA pays for much of the cost of helping flood victims.

"The question is how many times the American taxpayer has to step in and take care of this flooding, which could be easily prevented by building levees and dikes," said Allbaugh, who plans a visit to the area on Thursday.

City officials, led by Mayor Phil Yerington, reject the idea in favor of the $100 million in tourism money they say an unobstructed view of the river brings in. Casinos and riverside festivals bring visitors to the city.

"I don't think we're in a position of letting that go," Yerington told The Associated Press.

But at least some of Yerington's constituency may be ready to forgo the view after the city's second major flood in less than 10 years. An informal poll on the Quad City Times Web site was running 4 to 1 in favor of a flood wall.

CNN Correspondents Jeff Flock and Lilian Kim contributed to this report.

Mississippi breaches levee in town near Davenport
April 23, 2001
Davenport ballpark flooded as Guard sends more troops
April 22, 2001
Iowa levees feel weight of Mississippi
April 21, 2001
More rain forecast for flooded Midwest
April 20, 2001
Long weekend of rain threatens flooded Midwest
April 19, 2001

Federal Emergency Management Agency
Iowa National Guard
Minnesota Department of Public Safety
The National Weather Servicee
Quad City Times Newspaper
  • Flood2001.com

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