Iowa flood evacuations rise, losses seen in billions

By Ryan Schlader

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Reuters) - Overflowing rivers in Iowa and other Midwest states forced evacuations and disrupted the region's economy on Friday with fears of worse to come from fragile levees and more rain.

A Cedar Rapids hospital was flooded and evacuated its patients after a levee break on the Cedar River turned the downtown area into a shallow lake. Thousands were forced to leave their homes in the worst Midwest flooding in 15 years.

"I don't know how much damage is done," said Latrina Walker, huddled at a shelter with her four children. "I'm just really scared right now."

Floodwaters inundated about 100 city blocks of Cedar Rapids, Iowa's second-largest city with 200,000 residents. Rescuers in boats picked up people who were stranded or had had ignored warnings to leave.

Officials in Des Moines city urged residents living near the rising Des Moines River to evacuate.

"We think that the levels are going to be at or very close to levee height," Mayor Frank Cownie said. "We're working like crazy to protect our property."

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said the damage to his state could cost billions of dollars. Scores of bridges spanning nine overflowing rivers have been swept away or weakened.

"I have real concerns about our agricultural sector. I have toured the state and seen the devastation to our crops," Culver said.

Iowa is usually the top U.S. corn and soybeans growing state and is a major producer of hogs and cattle.

Crop losses could spur price rises for everything from food to fuels, like corn-based ethanol, and play into growing fears of inflation threatening the already battered U.S. economy.

The flooding led authorities to close the upper Mississippi River to barge traffic, and commerce on a 300-mile stretch of the most important U.S. waterway may be shut down for weeks.

An epic 1993 Midwest flood swamped several cities in Iowa, Missouri and neighboring states, killing 48 people and caused $21 billion in losses.

Along with torrential rains, the Midwest has been struck by several tornadoes, adding to the highest U.S. death toll from twisters in a decade. A tornado on Wednesday killed four teenage boys at a scout camp in western Iowa.

OTHER STATES SWAMPED

Flooding has also swamped parts of Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas and Indiana. Officials in Indiana have reported three flood-related deaths.