Iowans vacate city near deluged river

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Residents were leaving low-lying areas of Cedar Rapids on Sunday, adhering to a request by authorities to clear out by 8 p.m. because of the risk of flooding from the rising Cedar River.

The river crested Saturday night in Waterloo and Cedar Falls, about 55 miles upstream from Cedar Rapids. The city is Iowa’s second-largest, with about 130,000 people.

The water levels in Cedar Falls and Waterloo were slightly lower than expected, but they still reached levels that were second only to those in 2008, when a flood devastated the region.

The National Weather Service predicted that the river will crest in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday morning. Officials asked those living in about 5,000 downtown homes near the river to evacuate. They said it could be days before people can return home.

Residents of Palo, about 10 miles upstream from Cedar Rapids, were being urged not to use water on Sunday because of a sewer-line break and area flooding.