Independence spared from flooding

While most of Eastern Iowa recovers from Sunday-night storms, Independence residents have been spared from severe flooding.

Doug Cook, the Independence fire chief, said the area received six-tenths of an inch of rain. During the storm, he said they experienced minimal local flooding, such as temporary flooding in the streets, but there is 'no way” the river will hit projected water levels.

The National Weather Service predicts the Wapsipinicon River will crest in Independence at 12 p.m. on Tuesday at 18 feet. Flood stage is 12 feet; major flood stage is 15 feet.

As of Monday morning, he said the river gauge indicated the water was at 7 1/2 feet, almost 10 feet under the projection.

'I did a gauge check to see if it's sticking,” he said. 'It's not. This is just a run of the mill river rising.”

Cook said he thinks the water officials predicted would fall into the Wapsipinicon watershed actually fell into the area draining into the Cedar River.

'As far as we know, there's been nothing in our watershed,” he said.

Currently, the city is not taking any special precautions, such as evacuations or sandbagging.

While more rain is in the forecast, Cook said city officials will begin to worry if two or three more inches of rain come too quickly, but they are not anticipating damaging floodwaters.