Some Cedar Rapids Residents Allowed To Return As River Recedes

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are allowing some residents to return to their homes and other properties in Cedar Rapids' flood evacuation zone.

Utility crews worked Wednesday to restore service to some areas near the rain-swollen Cedar River, which rose to its second-highest crest on record a day earlier.

Parts of downtown and the western side of the city were reopened after the Iowa National Guard moved barricades, shrinking the evacuation zone. That gave residents and business owners access to 2,500 properties, though some areas remain closed.

Cedar Rapids police Sgt. Steve Keiller said Thursday there had been no breaches overnight in the city's temporary flood protection system.

National Weather Service data show that the Cedar River has dropped near 3 feet since cresting Tuesday. It's expected to return below flood stage on Sunday.

Flooding