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Davenport announces plans for flood preparations

The city is encouraging all of its residents to have a flood plan and follow safety tips.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — The city of Davenport is preparing for potential flooding this spring. They announced on Wednesday they have been preparing different sets of plans, depending on what water levels that the Mississippi River could reach. 

Nicole Gleason, Davenport Public Works director, says its important to keep all of its residents up to date with their plans. 

"We are doing additional public outreach to make sure everyone has the opportunity to be prepared for the worst," Gleason said. "While we create the plans for the city, residents who could be impacted should make a plan for their homes and families." 

Gleason says the city has been preparing sandbags that can be used as temporary barriers around the city. They currently have 80,000 on hand and a portion will be available to the public. 

Alongside the sandbags, 13,500 lineal feet of temporary barriers are on hand for the city. These are meant to defend travel routes and city infrastructure up to 23 feet. 

Residents are also being advised to follow safety tips if floods were to occur. 

"One tip that should be followed is don't drive through water at all," Gleason said. "People might think, oh, it's only three inches of water on the road but the reality is you actually never know. The road underneath could have washed away or you don't know if there's something else happening that's causing that water on the road." 

In 2019, the river reached 22.70 feet of water, setting a record. As of March 9th, the weather service forecast indicates an 80% chance of reaching major flood stage of 18 feet and a 50% chance of reaching 20 feet. 

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