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American Morning

FEMA Director to Assess Flood Protection in Davenport, Iowa

Aired April 26, 2001 - 10:30   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.
LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: Watchful eyes are patrolling for leaks along the swollen Mississippi River as it just laps against sandbagged levees. The muddy river reaching its high point at Davenport, Iowa yesterday.

CNN's Alexa Lee is there right now to bring us up to date.

Hello, there.

ALEXA LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Linda.

Many people here in Davenport believe that the worst of the flooding is over. The levees behind me seem to be holding up. But all of this has rekindled the national debate over federal disaster assistance going to flood-prone areas. As you may know, Davenport is the only major city in the upper Mississippi that does not have a permanent floodwall. The city's mayor, however, says that that may not be the best solution.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR PHILLIP YERINGTON, DAVENPORT, IOWA: It's not as simple as building a floodwall, because we have a lot of water that backs up through our sewer system; we have a lot of groundwater that seeps up because of the pressure of the river. And we don't know for sure that a floodwall would be the wisest use of tax dollars, both federal and state, if we would try to perform some kind of flood prevention that will not work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: And the mayor will be touring this area as well as other parts nearby with the governor, as well as with FEMA director Joe Allbaugh. They will see pictures like this -- this is a live picture of the Mississippi here -- flowing through here. It has been cresting for many hours now. This, of course -- this damage, extensive damage out here will be the center of attention today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): From inside the levee, it looks like the river won: homes -- around 1,100 -- affected by water, and dozens of businesses waterlogged. On the other side volunteers, guardsmen and other floodworkers are declaring victory. An estimated 450,000 sandbags have thus far kept the river back, even while cresting.

DEE BRUEMMER, DAVENPORT PUBLIC WORKS: All the hard work that's gone into this, and they are really fighting it.

LEE: FEMA officials will survey their work and the flooded areas in Iowa and Illinois. Ten counties in both states have been declared disaster areas. Davenport is the only city, however, without a permanent flood levee. It became the topic of dueling news conferences earlier this week.

Today the city's mayor and the nation's top disaster authority meet face-to-face.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He wants to assess the damage -- that's why he's here. He wants to see our efforts, and what we've saved this time that we haven't been able to save before.

LEE: Downtown merchants and homeowners look forward to this going away. Life along the Mississippi has stalled for hundreds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not very good for business to keep your doors closed, but you do what you have to do.

LEE: They want their jobs, neighborhoods and riverfront back to normal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEE: Four Midwestern states have been hit by this year's flooding; towns south of here are getting ready for the swollen Mississippi to come their way.

Reporting live, Alexa Lee, CNN, Davenport, Iowa.

STOUFFER: Alexa Lee, thank you.

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