CNN.com - Federal relief chief, Davenport mayor patch feud


Flooding in Davenport on Wednesday

DAVENPORT, Iowa (CNN) -- Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Joe Allbaugh arrived on Thursday to tour flood damage on the upper Mississippi River, including the town he criticized for not doing enough to safeguard itself from rising waters.

But Davenport, Iowa, Mayor Phil Yerington said Wednesday that he and Allbaugh had cleared the air.

"I tried to tell him I have a tendency to shoot from the hip and that some of the things that were said hurt some feelings here," Yerington told the Quad City Times. "We had a great conversation and we're on a first-name basis now."

Allbaugh toured Keithsburg, Illinois, before crossing the river to Davenport.

Davenport, the only major town on the upper Mississippi that has elected not to build a permanent flood wall, watched earlier this week as the Mississippi crested within inches of both a record-high water mark and the top of sandbag levees stacked to keep the water out of downtown.

On Monday, with the crest approaching, Allbaugh questioned how many times the federal government, using taxpayer money, should bail out riverside towns that don't take more permanent steps, such as building dikes and levees, to keep the water out. Yerington responded that Allbaugh's comments were "insulting."

Yerington said that Davenport has bought properties in flood-prone areas and taken a number of other measures -- and that a flood wall only forces higher water downstream to smaller communities that lack a wall or the resources to build one.

"(Allbaugh) promised to leave the discussion about a permanent flood wall for another day," the mayor said. "He said that Thursday is the time for him to come here and meet people and check on our situation and see how he can help."

In Washington, Allbaugh issued a statement saying his conversations with Yerington, the governors of Illinois and Iowa and the U.S. senators from those states had been "very constructive and cordial."

"FEMA cares and FEMA will be there to help," Allbaugh said. "We will be their partner in the flood's aftermath."

Second crest approaching?

Many of those who live along the river take extraordinary precautions because of the possibility of flood -- the ground floors of their homes are often little more than a garage, and heating, air conditioning and electrical boxes are up high.

"That's part of living on the river," said Ron Lutz, an ex-fire chief who lives in nearby Pleasant Valley. "You just do what you have to do. If you want to live by the river, you got to like water."

Despite the precautions, the flood has caused hefty damage on its way toward the Gulf of Mexico. Six counties reviewed by state and federal officials in Iowa have taken a nearly $5 million hit so far, and more is likely to come.

Davenport Public Works Director Dee Bruemmer said the city has spent more than $1 million to combat the floods, which peaked at 22.3 feet on Tuesday -- the third-highest flood ever to drench the Quad Cities area. Only 1965 (22.48 feet) and 1993 (22.6 feet) levels topped it.

The water was subsiding on Thursday, but upriver -- where floods spread late last week -- officials and residents were preparing for a second crest, higher than the first.

The Minnesota, Mississippi and St. Croix rivers in Minnesota were all rising again. The Minnesota in Mankata was heading for a crest on Friday at 11 feet above flood stage -- and a foot higher than the April 16 crest. In St. Paul, the Mississippi River was expected to crest again on Tuesday a foot-and-a-half above its April 18 crest.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expected to keep the river closed to navigation from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa, at least through mid-May.

Altogether, damage reports for Minnesota and Iowa are approaching $10 million.

CNN Correspondents Alexa Lee and Jeff Flock contributed to this report.

CNN.com - Federal relief chief, Davenport mayor patch feud

Second crest approaching?

You Might Also Like

Pautas para mantener la casa fresca sin aire acondicionado

Bioindustry Association (BIA) | Translational Research Newcastle

Bebe Neuwirth Takes Over Thursday TV