Twenty Years of Floods: Ottumwa and Southeast Iowa

In the spring of 1993, the rains began across the upper Midwest, filling lakes and rivers to capacity. With flood control reservoirs at their limits, Ottumwa and southeast Iowa braced for the impact. Photographer Michael W. Lemberger documented the historic Great Flood of 1993 both in his 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 the historic 1993 flood and others in the twenty years since.