PLEASANT VALLEY, Iowa-- There's no end in sight to the flooding for people living in Pleasant Valley. Many homes along the Mississippi are swampy if not completely surrounded by floodwaters. The river is expected to rise another foot in the next three days at the LeClaire gauge.
"You'll get mud and soot," Rich Ortega says. "You'll clean it up and then you'll get four inches of mud and soot again. And you're back to power washing and cleaning your house and vehicles again."
Rich and his wife Jody have seen the water rise, fall and rise again over the last two months. Each time they're left with more damage and more clean-up. Last time, the water pressure blew out their garage door.
"For your mentality, it's wearing down on people. you can see their faces, from the cleaning and living in this," Jody says.
An end isn't even in sight. Heavy rains Tuesday night aren't giving them a bright outlook.
"It's unbelievable," Jodi says. "I can't believe another one is coming back."
Rich says they'll be back to relying on waders and kayaks to get to their house tomorrow. The water if expected to rise over the road by their river home, making it impassable.
The Ortegas say the Red Cross has been crucial the past few months, providing them and their neighbors bottle water and food. Their neighborhood has also come together to make sure everyone is taken care of.