Midwest Underwater, but Some Rivers Falling

Two blocks away, Ed Hutson surveyed the river from behind a police line, judging the chances of flood damage to his 73-year-old mother's home. She was evacuated Saturday morning, but it appeared that her house would stay dry.

"She's kind of nervous about it," said Hutson, 51, who got a phone call from a friend at 4 a.m. about the evacuation. "She's trying to refinance, so this isn't the best time for this to happen."

The Des Moines and Raccoon rivers in Des Moines have crested, and flooding is now expected to recede.

But other Iowa and Illinois cities and towns are still gearing up for the worst. Floodwaters continued to flow down tributaries and the Mississippi River, and more storms are expected Sunday.

Culver said 2,500 members of the Iowa National Guard have been mobilized, and he has requested disaster designations for 83 of 99 counties. Sixteen already have been granted federal disaster status, so affected residents can request individual assistance and the Federal Emergency Management Administration will provide food, water and other resources.

Hull reported from Washington.