Flood waters churn through eastern Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, June 13 (UPI) -- Three Iowa cities, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, were threatened by rising rivers Friday with thousands of people forced to evacuate.

In Des Moines, police suggested that everyone within the "500-year floodplain" of the Des Moines River leave by 6 p.m. Friday, The Des Moines Register reported. Public Works Director Bill Stowe said the water is expected to come close to the top of the levees or to top them.

"As the circumstances change, this may become mandatory," Police Chief Judy Bradshaw said of the voluntary evacuation.

In Cedar Rapids, 24,000 people have been evacuated, including the inmates of the Linn County Jail and patients at Mercy Medical Center. The Cedar River stopped rising Friday -- cresting at 31.12 feet -- leaving most of the city unaffected although some businesses were closed or had curtailed operations, The New York Times reported.

Officials said flooding threatened the city's water supply, with the system running at only 25 percent of normal. Residents were asked to restrict water use as much as possible and were warned that supplies may be uncertain for days.

In Iowa City, water levels were well beyond those the city endured in the last major flood in 1993. All bridges in the city were expected to close within the next few days.