University of Iowa facing flood crisis

IOWA CITY, Iowa, June 15 (UPI) -- University of Iowa officials say they're facing the biggest crisis in the school's history as floodwaters flowed through a dozen buildings on campus Sunday.

Parts of the university, situated on the banks of the Iowa River in Iowa City, were largely underwater after sandbagging failed to hold the swollen river back from the campus, where nine buildings, in addition to the 12 already taking on floodwaters, were threatened, the Des Moines Register reported.

University President Sally Mason said the school had never seen anything like this year's flooding, as an estimated 2,000 volunteers piled sandbags to try to protect its main library and its computer center.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported the Iowa River would rise by an additional 2 feet before it crests Tuesday morning at 33 feet, more than 4 feet greater than the previous Iowa City record of 28.5 feet set in 1993.

Transportation in Iowa City was also proving to be extremely difficult. The Register reported rising water was threatening the only link left between the city's east and west halves, the Burlington Street Bridge, where traffic was reduced to one lane.