A temporary floodwall was breached in Burlington early Saturday afternoon, sending Mississippi River water into downtown Burlington.
Six blocks of Burlington were flooded when HESCO barriers filled with sand bags failed. City officials say the barrier may have been more prone to a breach because sand in the make-shift floodwall was likely saturated due to recent rains.
According to the National Weather Service, the Mississippi River crested Sunday morning at Burlington at nearly 24-and-a-half feet. The river is still more than nine feet above flood stage in Burlington.
Burlington’s historic Memorial Auditorium is among the structures that flooded Saturday. It was built during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration and sits on Burlington’s Front Street, right along the Mississippi.