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Missouri River floods parking lots at Iowa casinos

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June 15th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Two riverboat casinos permanently moored along the Missouri River in Council Bluffs are dealing with floodwater. Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan says parking lots on the wet side of the levees at Harrah’s and Ameristar are flooded. He says they were expected to flood because of their locations. Other parking lots are free of water.

Hanafan says both casinos have engineers on staff to monitor the integrity of the floating casinos as the river rises. He says that if a problem is detected, the casino will be emptied. The river is rising as water is released from upstream reservoirs to deal with heavy rains and snowpack. The river is expected to crest above flood stage in Iowa and Nebraska this week, but the water will remain high into fall.