ALERT: Waterloo & Cedar Falls, Iowa under mandatory evacuation

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The flood threat continues to worsen for parts of Eastern Iowa Tuesday afternoon.

Within the past few minutes we've gotten word from our sister station KWWL-TV in Waterloo/Cedar Falls that both communities are under mandatory evacuations this afternoon. The TV station is now taking on water and National Guard are patrolling the streets. There are only a few roadways that are drivable in and out of Waterloo. Here is a transcript of our live chat with the National Weather Service (DVN):


(3:15:46 PM) kwwl_stormteam: FYI!!!! Mandatory (immediately) CF is now evacuating part of downtown
(3:16:00 PM) kcrg_jw entered the room.
(3:16:06 PM) nwsdvn2: thanks kwwl, we just heard that too
(3:16:30 PM) kwwl_stormteam: mayor ordered this
(3:16:36 PM) kcrg_ko: thanks kwwl
(3:16:37 PM) wrex_weather: good luck KWWL!
(3:16:47 PM) kwwl_stormteam: Thanks wrex
(3:17:06 PM) kwwl_stormteam: this is scarry and a lot of people in a panic
(3:17:20 PM) nwsdvn2: kwwl i believe that your tv station building is safe, correct?
(3:17:29 PM) kwwl_stormteam: National Guard on the way if now already here
(3:18:07 PM) kwwl_stormteam: we are taking on water in the basement...no toilets and no AC.. only 2-3 roads in and out of ALO
(3:18:33 PM) nwsdvn2: wow, what a time to lose AC. losing toilets anytime is not good.
(3:18:58 PM) kwwl_stormteam: becoming a ghost town on the streets here
(3:19:08 PM) nwsdvn4: Wow.
(3:19:23 PM) nwsdvn4: glad to know folks are taking it seriously
(3:20:05 PM) kcrg_ko: wow...best of luck kwwl
(3:20:10 PM) kcrg_ko: we are next in line
(3:20:16 PM) kcrg_jw: Agreed - thoughts and prayers with everyone
(3:28:07 PM) kwwl_stormteam: I am trying to find out what kind of power/force the river has on an object. Any help.
(3:28:32 PM) kwwl_stormteam: FYI: one of the railroad bridges in ALO just split in half
(3:28:55 PM) nwsdvn4: Wow... not sure the equation, but safe to say. It's a lot.
(3:29:19 PM) kwwl_stormteam: CF now has mandatory evacuations
(3:29:50 PM) nwsdmx5: KWWL: thanks for the info...could you jump into the DMX chat room as well...we'll be able to monitor the updates better there...thanks
(3:30:28 PM) kwwl_stormteam: i will
(3:30:46 PM) kwwl_stormteam: I will put all ALO/CF info on DMX chat...
(3:30:52 PM) nwsdvn4: KWWL, thanks for your reports and efforts. Tonight will be a educational night as well as historic.

(8:06:21 PM) nwsdvn3: Kcrg...sorry for the late response but had to track down the current release from the COE. The COE reported that they are releasing the maximum amount of water from Coralville at 20,000 cfs.
(8:09:12 PM) kcrg_ko: ok, thanks....i see the lake is at 711.92...this thing may go over by our 10pm show tonight
(8:09:38 PM) wrex_weather: oh my!
(8:10:11 PM) nwsdvn3: kcrg...coe said the lake level was just 0.15 feet below emergency spillway...that was about 8 pm.
(8:13:49 PM) kwwl_stormteam: any idea expected time for water to go over spillway?
(8:16:54 PM) nwsdvn3: kwwl...I would think it would happen soon, but I don't have any info on how fast it has been rising to say for sure.
(8:18:33 PM) kcrg_ko: i would agree...been watching that thing get closer and closer and if they are letting out the max, it's bound to happen soon
(8:21:38 PM) kgantv_weather left the room.
(8:22:18 PM) kgantv_weather entered the room.
(8:23:38 PM) kcrg_jw: CID put out 100 and 500 year graphics showing parts that will flood. Are you estimating this as a 500 year flood, considering the record levels? Maybe a 1,000 year flood? Any insight would be great.


Here is a slide show of viewer-submitted pictures from the KWWL-TV weather blog.