Thousands flee flooding in Iowa

In the US, several burst levees in the state of Iowa led to a mandatory evacuation ordered for 270 homes. Des Moines city crews and National Guard troops used dump trucks and front-end loaders to build a temporary barrier in a bid to stop the water. Meanwhile floodwaters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa's second-largest city, were receding after forcing 24,000 people to flee their homes.

The flooding in Iowa is the latest disaster created by severe storms blamed for at least nine deaths this past week. Apart from flooding thousands of homes, it also damaged the corn crop in America's number one corn state. Officials said it was too soon to evaluate the cost of the damage.