Midwest flooding

[phesina]

Thanks for asking, Ellie. I'm actually a couple of hours away from Grand Rapids. We're okay here, but they've really been getting high water in the Grand River there. Basements and low-lying areas are getting flooded, and there are people out trying to sandbag the river shores.

From what I see on the news, it looks bad all over the upper Midwest.. the Mississippi is really high, and other rivers in many other states are flooding. LOTS of sandbags are being stacked up all over. (Do those really make much difference? I'm sure they must be effective in some cases or people wouldn't keep doing it, but it looks so much like wishful thinking at work to me..)

Hoping and praying for all affected..

[pomtzu]

Thanks for asking, Ellie. I'm actually a couple of hours away from Grand Rapids.

Well a big DUH!!! on me. I was thinking you were in G.R. Maybe someone else here is???

Anyway - glad to hear that you are okay - and praying for the best for everyone affected by the high water.

[Karen]

How much of this is happening where there were worries of drought last year?

[cassiesmom]

How much of this is happening where there were worries of drought last year?

*waving my hand* On Thursday we had 7 inches of rain fall in 30 hours. What a mess. There are still road closures related to high water. On a positive note, though - the grass is now bright green and growing quickly! We're supposed to get another 1/2 to 1 inch of rain today. I hope all that water will leave the ground much wetter than it was!

[cassiesmom]

This is about a mile south of where my parents live. What a mess. This story makes things sound better than they are. The water isn't receding, so heavy equipment is being brought in.

FOREST VIEW, Ill. (CBS) — It’s a waiting game for people trying to clean up from rising flood waters.

A levee breach along the Des Plaines river sent water rushing into homes and basements in southwest suburban Forest View.

That breach prompted nearly a village-wide evacuation. Today there is progress, as water starts to recede.

On one block, what was covered with river water yesterday, is now starting to dry out today.

80 percent of homes in Forest View took-in water. It started pouring-in Thursday night, and it didn’t take long for some residents to begin evacuating.

Yesterday, you needed to a boat to get around most of the village.

That’s what firefighters used to rescue those who were trying to get out of their homes, many with no power.

Even the village president told CBS 2’s Courtney Gousman that he had to evacuate, because his basement was filled with almost 6-feet of water.

Asked if he could foresee this happening, Forest View Village President Richard Grenvich said, “No. As a matter of fact, the village administrator and I were talking yesterday about how well things had gone with all the flooding that had been occurring in the northern suburbs and we had nothing.”

Since the Des Plaines crested yesterday, it appears, the worst is over. There are about 650 residents in the village- many who will now begin the clean-up process.