DAVENPORT, Iowa – The Mississippi River is below major flood stage (18 ft) and it’s expected to keep falling throughout the week.
It might seem iron, but the flood of 2019 is being erased by water.
“There’ s a lot of mud and muck left behind that stills needs to be taken care of,” says Adam Jones, of Front Street Brewery.
City of Davenport crews are using an environmentally friendly cleaning solution spraying with high power hoses to get downtown Davenport back in business after a record crest and a breached flood wall.
The process involves washing and flushing away what the Mississippi River left behind.
But some people are still in awe on how the water seemed to almost disappear.
“I’m shocked how fast it’s gone down, so that’s good,” says one observer, Madeline Sullivan.
In the last seven days, river levels have gone down an entire foot and the evidence is there.
“Since last week we had fish in the parking lot, geese, ducks swimming through here,” explains Jones.
You can see how quickly the flood water has receded from before and after drone footage. The bandshell in LeClaire Park had water up to the stage and every seat was covered in the flood water. Now, the seats are beginning to reappear.
And on Pershing Avenue two weeks ago where the barrier broke is now dried up with dirt and you can see exactly where the barrier broke.
Although the flood waters are starting to go away, the stench remains.
“There definitely some funk in the air,” says Jones.
“It’s kind of like a Port-A-Potty,” Sullivan describes.
The flood may have left a stain, but those in downtown are happy to see the flood washed away.
“We have gotten so used to seeing the water out there,” says Jones. “To see it finally go away is just a big sigh of relief.”
Davenport Public Works crews are working extended hours until clean-up is complete. They hope to have everything done by Friday if the weather cooperates.
Public Works also says city streets must be inspected before they can reopen. Workers want to make sure the pavement wasn’t damaged by the flood waters.