Ten in Midwest Die and Thousands Flee Homes as Rivers Swell. By Grant Schulte, Judy Keen and Andrea Stone, USA Today, June 12, 2008. "The record flooding that has sent thousands from their homes in Iowa is likely to become a greater threat across the Midwest into the weekend, as stormy weather continues and water levels rise in the waterways that feed the swelling Mississippi River. As the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers threatened to flood downtown in Iowa's capital city, local and state officials cast the rising waters in epic terms, saying the next 24 hours could be one of the most important periods in the city's 157-year history. 'This could be a 500-year type of event,' Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said, noting that three weeks of storms had left nine rivers in the state at or above record water levels, and had closed or washed out hundreds of roads, highways and bridges. 'Very few people could anticipate or prepare for that type of event. … We're dealing with something that's historic in proportion.' More than 2,800 people were evacuated Wednesday, including 1,800 in Cedar Rapids. Late in the day, there were signs the flooding that has killed 10 people could have an impact far beyond the upper Midwest."
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