Lee County is Iowa’s southern-most point, along Iowa’s southeastern border that is defined by the now-flooding Mississippi River. Lee County emergency management coordinator Steve Cirinna says there’s a lot of pressure on the levees in that area and they’re trying to shore up levees protecting Fort Madison.
"We’ve got volunteers. We’ve got National Guard. We’ve got Iowa State Penitentiary inmates up there working on that one," Cirinna says, "so we’re putting a big effort into keeping (those) folks supplied up there."
Another concern in the county is the wastewater treatment plant in Keokuk, Iowa’s southernmost city. Alderwoman Susan Dunek says they’re worried the flood wall protecting the facility will not be able to handle the high crest.
"So we’re beginning a second string of operations down at the flood wall to try to be sure that we not only are protected from water lapping over, but also so we can minimize any seepage," she says.