News : Flooding damages parks, covers roads -- but no major property damage reported

Benches along the road to the boat dock near Riverside are nearly covered by the river.

Vinton sign, Egge Park

Vinton Country Club

Entrance to sledding hill parking area

22nd Avenue just across the tracks...

Flood from the creek near Nature Center washed away some of the natural parts of outdoor classroom.

Crews replace dirt washed from near a culvert near Nature Center during the flash flood.

A trailer full of trees and debris washed across the road at Rodgers Park.

Sand and sandbags await area residents on Third Street.

Minne Estema

With the Cedar River at its crest of around 17 feet, area residents and emergency personnel spent the morning carefully watching, prepared to take more action if the flood forecast worsens.

After several areas were affected by flash flooding Wednesday, many residents were on clean-up duty. Among the areas most affecte by rain-swollen creeks was Rodgers Park.

Those who were camping there were evacuated Thursday night after the creek that winds north of the Nature Center into the west edge of the park overflowed, covering the road to the campground with 4 inches of water, said Conservation Director Matthew Purdy.

“It’s a mess,” said Purdy. While there was no significant structural damage to park property, the trails and outdoor classroom area were hit hard with fast-flowing water that washed gravel from trails and pushed logs through the area.

A few of the trees recently planted by area 4-H clubs were washed away, said Naturalist Karen Phelps.

Purdy and Conservation Department crews spent Thursday morning removing tree debris and even a damaged picnic table from the road through Rodgers Park

Closer to Vinton, rural resident Dave Coots – who had to repair his house on 22nd Avenue Drive after the June 2008 flood – watched with concern as water began to fill the ditches around his house. Coots noted that the river level is several feet lower than five years ago, but said he would prefer to not have to remodel his house again.

In Vinton, Henkle Creek – which flooded houses five years ago at the end of May, about two weeks before the historic Cedar River Flood – again overflowed. This time, however, the water surrounded the houses on 5th Street between H and I Avenue, but did not damage any homes, as it did in 2008.

The blacktop leading to the city boat dock and sledding hill parking area was also closed, as part of it is under water today.

North of Vinton, the brush dump and Egge Park, as well as much of the Dudgeon area, are under several feet of water.