Mississippi River Crests at Davenport, Testing Barriers

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.
“It was a lot of work to get the sandbags in place but then it was just a matter of watching and hoping it goes down,” said O’Donnell, a 79-year-old retiree who bought the house three years ago. “I’ll sit on the porch and drink a cup of coffee in the morning or couple beers in the evening and see everything pass in front of me.”…