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American Morning

Midwest Floods: Davenport Hoping to Avert Disaster

Aired April 23, 2001 - 10:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: One Midwestern town is keeping its eyes on the heavens and its feet on the edge of a nightmare. More rain could push the Mississippi River out of its banks and into the heart of Davenport, Iowa.

CNN's Jeff Flock is on the flood watch, as the crest approaches -- Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Leon: flood watch and wind watch here today -- unfortunately, a lot of wind out here. And it's really whipping up against the dike, the makeshift dike.

Let's take a look out here. I want to give you a high perspective and show you what we see from up on top this of parking garage we've got here in downtown Davenport. If you look out, that's Lock and Dam 15. This is one of a series of locks and dams that typically control the flow of the river -- not right now, though.

They're running what they call "open river." That means, pretty much, the gates are all open because of the height of the river. We've got a perspective, too, that kind of gives you a sense of what that sandbag wall looks like that is protecting the downtown right now. And you can look across the river and see the folks over there that have the casino over in Rock Island. That casino, by the way, is open.

The one here on this side in Davenport, on the Iowa side, is closed because of the water. But they have a flood wall across in Illinois in Rock Island and Moline. And they -- you would have to get another 3, 4 feet worth of water in this river before they would have any problems across the river. But here in Davenport, as has been widely reported, they don't have a flood wall. They like the river to be close. They're willing to go through what they are going right now to make it all happen and keep their beautiful view and their close relationship with the river.

But the problem is, right now, not only is that -- is that flood wall important, but -- the flood wall may be holding the water back, but it is coming up through pretty much every hole that is down by the river: every manhole, every storm sewer, some buckles and holes that have broken into the macadam. So it is not a good situation in terms of the water coming through. At this point, though, the levee itself is holding. They had some difficulties last night. But they managed to stem the tide. (AUDIO GAP) with that right now. This is holding (AUDIO GAP) you perhaps hear the wind whipping. It is not a good day, with this wind driving this water. And it's coming right at us, and right, more importantly, at that levee, which is not a good thing, because it is driving that water, just as it does in a hurricane.

This isn't a hurricane by any means, but the wind still drives the water up against that levee, weakening the levee, driving that water up underneath through the storm sewers and all the rest of it -- so not happy right at the moment. But perhaps if the wind quits, and if the rain quits, and we get some good drying, maybe we will be in better shape.

Leon, that's the latest -- back to you.

HARRIS: All right, now, Jeff, when we talked last hour, we were having the same problems with the wind pushing our satellite dish around, which why you're breaking up a little bit here on the air. Can you give us an idea of how the winds are right now? Have they died down any? Have they picked up some? Looking at your hair, it looks like they have picked up some.

(LAUGHTER)

FLOCK: No, they haven't. I seem to attract the wind wherever I go somehow.

(LAUGHTER)

FLOCK: But they haven't died down at all. In fact, they're probably as strong now as they have been. And this is not something that they really expected. So, as we talked about, this driving this water on this dike is nothing that they like.

HARRIS: It's looking more like a lake right now.

FLOCK: What did you say?

HARRIS: It's looking more like a lake right now.

FLOCK: Yes, no kidding.

HARRIS: Yes, we don't see any sandbaggers out there. Have they pretty much finished what they are going to do?

Ah, here we go again.

FLOCK: Did you say sandbaggers?

HARRIS: Yes, we don't -- I don't see any in the shot. Have they finished down there? Or do they have more to go or what?

FLOCK: They are pretty well done, although I'll tell you -- hey, Rick (ph), come on out here. Look down the street there. Crane yourself out here.

You can look down here, Leon. I'll show you. Take a look at these -- the trucks. They're loaded with sandbags out here.

(AUDIO GAP) action if they need to. Down that way, this is Second Street here, which is a couple of blocks off the river. The -- all the way down there, you see cofferdams built up. They had some real problems there yesterday with the water (AUDIO GAP) some of these manholes. And they built these cofferdams. And they've got these other bags and those trucks -- those dump trucks down there ready to go in case they have any other problems or if they get any breaks in the levee.

And maybe you can see how our shot was shaking there. That's more of the wind action that's making it fun up here on the sixth floor.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: You know what, you're right. That stuff follows you no matter where you go.

Folks, if you see Jeff Flock coming, you better run.

All right, Jeff Flock, we'll get back to you later on -- Jeff Flock reporting live from Davenport, Iowa.

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