by Leigh Michaels and Michael W. Lemberger
And the rain came down…
In the spring of 1993, storm systems stalked the upper Midwest, filling lakes and rivers to capacity. With flood control reservoirs at their limits, Ottumwa and southeast Iowa braced for the impact.
The historic Great Flood of 1993 is documented here both in the photographer’s hometown of Ottumwa, Iowa and up and down the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers. This unique collection of aerial and ground-level color photos shows the impact of high water in southeastern Iowa during that flood, as well as others in the twenty years since.