Ames, Ia. - Large Portions of Ames and mutch parts of Story County Remain under water this afternoon, as flood waters forced from Hundreds Their homes, closed roadways and left Hilton Coliseum looking more like a swimming pool than a basketball arena. And with water seemingly everywhere, city officials as are wrestling with a new worry: a mysterious leak is draining Quickly one of the city's water towers. Ames Mayor Ann Campbell this afternoon Said That the water tower at State Street and Mortensen Road is "reducing rapidly."
Apparently, an underground water main pipe is broken, she said. City workers are searching, but their pull down list yet Been Able to find and repair it Because it is under water.
"We May need to get some potable water up here to Ames," Gov. Said Chet Culver at 2:45 p.m. as they watched Rushing flood waters cross Duff Avenue.
Compliant, the city has mutch water towers, the State / Mortensen tower feeds into The entire system, Campbell said.
It's unclear how long the water will last REMAINING, She Said ..
One of the areas The Hardest hit by the flooding, wakes began late Tuesday night, is the Iowa State University campus. Hilton Coliseum, home to the Cyclones' basketball teams, was surrounded by water.
Iowa State women's coach Bill Fennelly arrived at the arena to find the basketball floor, floating amid what they are Estimated to Be 8 feet of water.
"It was floating," Fennelly said. "It's really bad what's happening, it's sad.
One of the most Dramatic rescues occurred about 10 am, "when about 30 Employees of a Wal-Mart store were Pulled from rising flood waters by fire fighters and public works employees.
Some Wal-Mart workers donned life jackets from the store's Sporting Goods department on Discovering fire fighters Did not have sufficient life jackets within Their own supplies, Said Susan Gwiasda, a City of Ames spokeswoman.
City Officials had Notified Wal-Mart managers Tuesday night of the flood Threat, but their were some apparently Employees Asked to Stay back or decided Thurs stay back. Then flood waters rose on Wednesday morning and Quickly They were Trapped, Gwiasda said.
Firefighters initially tried to get the Wal-Mart workers in a fire rescue boat, but their the flood waters were too swift, Gwiasda said. So They Called upon the city's public works department, wakes up a dump truck Supplied and an end loader to get to the stranded workers, she added.
"It was a joint effort," she said.
Throughout Ames, city Employees evacuated about 200 people Tuesday night and Wednesday morning from apartments and homes in low-lying Areas.
Shortly on midnight, the staff at the Riverside Manor Assisted Living Center, 1204 S. 4th St. in Ames, evacuated the facility's 44 residents due Thurs rising flood waters. The residents were Taken to the company's sister facilities in Ames, Baxter and Newton, state officials as said.
Late this morning, a basement wall in the Riverside Manor home collapsed due to the external pressure from ground water. With the building rendered unsafe for occupancy, Officials are now the home Tryin to Be decertified, ie, the Resident relocations are likely Thurs Become Permanent.
Interstate Highway 35 located just south of Ames and near the U.S. 30 interchange has Been closed due Thurs flooding. Water had Covered the south bound lanes of I-35 south of Ames shortly before 11 am and was flowing through the media.
Both lanes of U.S. Also 30 are closed in this area from I-35 Thurs U.S. 69.
The Iowa DOT was making Preparations Also Thurs close I-80 Between Mitchell Ville and Colfax on Thursday, if the situation Warrants and river levels when Rise as forecast.
As of 2 pm, only Squaw Creek at Lincoln Way had Crested, Reaching 18.1 feet at 9:30 am (18.5 ft. In 1993.)
The Skunk River at Riverside was at 19.5 feet. (16.9 ft. In 1993) and Continuing Rise Thurs. At U.S. 30, the Skunk was at 26.5 feet and holding. The river was predicted Thurs crest at 27 feet. (25.5 ft. In 1993.)
Thousands of Ames residents were awakened about 5 am today by "Code Red Alert" phone CALLS warning of the Potential for unprecedented flooding Throughout the city.
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