With heavy rains predicted this week in the Midwest, residents are bracing themselves for severe flooding. Scattered thunderstorms were expected in parts of the region this weekend, from Missouri to Minnesota, and the threat will continue into the week, moving northeast, according to the Weather Channel. Along the Iowa River — a tributary of the Mississippi River— there's a rush to get ready: The Army Corps of Engineers is letting water out of a dam in Coralville, Iowa, and residents are piling sandbags to protect what they can.
Some have already had to leave their homes as part of mandatory evacuations. Evacuee William White said all he had time to do was "get my clothes, get my belongings the best I could." In Davenport, Iowa, the Astros' Minor League ballpark was turned into an Island in the Mississippi River thanks to water everywhere. Downstream in the small town of Clarksville, Missouri, the river is expected to crest some nine feet above flood stage on Wednesday, according to experts — while the town's coffers are completely empty. Luckily, a local company has donated 100 tons of sand.