IA, 06/13 ( Iowa City Press Citizen )- Nearly a half-mile long sandbag levee built in the last few days may not be enough to protect the Baculis and Thatcher Mobile Home parks from flooding, which prompted emergency evacuation on Thursday afternoon. Advertisement

With about 170 units in the two parks, many neighbors have been working tirelessly for the past week to fortify the levee.

"I just collapsed in the mud," an emotional Brandon Rundell, 35, said of when he learned about the evacuation. "I had every hope it was going to work."

Some people had just a couple of hours upon learning of the mandatory evacuation to collect precious belongings and abandon their homes for an undetermined amount of time.

"I live with my mom who is 66; I am 42. I just hope we don't have to start of from scratch," said Deb Holtzinger, who has lived in her unit for the past nine years.

However, Holtzinger remained positive.

"We are still positive. Everyone worked on this. Everyone came together," Holtzinger said.

National Guard members were on hand to help residents with rides. Iowa City Council members also were on hand to help people move belongings, pets and get rides if necessary.

People packed furniture, clothes, pictures, computers and other valuables. Some people were heading to the emergency shelter and others headed to stay with friends and family.

Jessica Aragon, 27, had to explain to her two children what was happening to their home.

"My son says, 'Oh the floods are coming,' but they don't really know," she said as a 7-year-old dug coins out of a floor vent, and a 4-year-old sat nearby on the floor.

"I explained to them about what was being predicted and what could happen to our home," she said. "It told them, don't panic. I told them we have to come here and get stuff we absolutely need."

Many residents were uncertain about what is next for them. Ken Hartman, 27, lives in a unit with his pregnant fiancée. He works at Andrews Collision Center in Cedar Rapids, which also has been evacuated.

"I might lose my house, and I got all my tools up there. This is crazy. I about had a nervous breakdown. My stomach is in knots," Hartman said.

Gage Rodgers-Bergerud, 9, a Roosevelt Elementary fourth grader, was down near the levee sandbagging when his dad called with word of the evacuation. He ran back up to his home sobbing, mom Leah Rodgers said.

More composed and prepared to leave, Gage already had gone through his room to grab what was important to him.

"I grabbed my football cards, my blanket, my radio, my boots," he said. "I was kind of sad because I didn't want to leave my friends."