During the Iowa flood of 2008 , the Cedar River reached a record high of on June 13 ( the previous record was ) , surpassing the 500-year flood plain . 1,126 city blocks were flooded , or more than , and 561 city blocks were severely damaged , on both banks of the Cedar River , comprising 14 % of the city 's total area . A total of 7,749 flooded properties had to be evacuated , including 5,900 homes and 310 city facilities , among them the City Hall , Central Fire Station , Main Public Library , Ground Transportation Center , Public Works building , and the Animal Control building . It is estimated that at least 1,300 properties had to be demolished in the Cedar Rapids area because of the flood , which caused several billions of dollars in damages . More than 4,000 members of the Iowa National Guard were activated to assist the city . The temporary levees became saturated not only with the flood waters but also with additional rainfall , causing them to fail
Iowa flood of 2008
Iowa flood of 2008
Cedar Rapids, Iowa