Paul Parizek
Officials say “well over 100,000 people” are expected in downtown Des Moines tonight for the annual Yankee Doodle Pops concert at the state capitol and an Iowa Cubs game. Des Moines Police Sergeant Paul Parizek is urging people to stay away from the water.
“The bridges will be open so that you can watch the fireworks there, but please don’t go down off the roadways, off the bridges and don’t go down near the water,” Parizek says. “All this water looks the same on the top, it’s the stuff that’s underneath that’s going to cause you problems if you get in it, so let’s just be safe and just stay away from that.”
Parizek is also cautioning local homeowners who’ve been hit by flooding to trust their instincts, hire legitimate contractors and do not pay for any clean-up services until after the work is done.