The flooding Wapsipinicon River is now slowly falling at Independence, but downstream, Anamosa residents are preparing for what could be a record crest tomorrow. Andy Foster works at Tapkens, a convenience store near the river. She says the store was swamped in the flood of 2008.
“The water was up to our counters, the top of our counters at Tapkens,” Foster says. “It pretty much destroyed everything and it took a lot of work to get the store back into shape. That’s why we’re trying to be prepared this time so we don’t have to go through that chaos and mess again.”
Foster is hoping the extra sandbagging will prevent another flood. Mike Kosobucki is camping at Wapsipinicon State Park in Anamosa. Officials tell him the state park should be fine, but once the water rises, all roads out of the park will be closed.
“Once the river goes up, which they’re anticipating is going to be Friday morning, we’ve been told the only way out of the state park is going to be by boat,” Kosobucki says. “The guy told us you’ll be fine up there, the DNR will come and get you in a boat.”
Forecasts say the Wapsi River at Anamosa may crest Friday as high as ten-inches above the record, set in 2008. According to the National Weather Service, parts of Jones County have gotten as much as six-inches of rain in the past 48 hours.