Mississippi River Crests at Davenport, Testing Barriers

Boats float tethered in the front yards of homes along South Spencer Road as the Mississippi River continues to rise forcing residents to make alternative transportation between their homes and the rising water covering their street in Pleasant Valley, Iowa, on April 27, 2023. Nikos Frazier/Quad City Times via AP

BUFFALO, Iowa—Dale O’Donnell bought his small brick home only 100 yards or so from the Mississippi River because he enjoys watching the river and wanted a good view from his front porch.

He got his money’s worth Monday as the Mississippi crested at a near-record high just feet from his home, which was surrounded by sandbags and with a sump pump hose snaking from his basement.