Davenport Businesses Describe Flood Damage to Inslee

WVIK, Quad Cities NPR | By Michelle O'Neill

Published May 15, 2019 at 4:47 PM CDT

Iowa State Sen. Jim Lykam (L), Wash. Gov. Jay Inslee (C in light blue shirt) & Iowa State Rep. Monica Kurth talk while walking in downtown Davenport.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee learned all about the flood during a tour this morning in downtown Davenport. The democratic candidate for president emphasized the need to "defeat" climate change due to its impact on rainfall and flooding.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee listens as Dress for Success Ex. Dir. Regina Haddock describes how the nonprofit helps women.

Inslee talked with Regina Haddock, Executive Director of the nonprofit, Dress for Success.

The shop on 2nd Street was inundated when a temporary levee broke.

She is opposed to building more flood walls as a solution to the increased number of floods and intensity of storms. And Inslee agreed with her suggestion to create natural areas for floodwaters to flow into, similar to wetland mitigation for development projects.

Inslee (L) & Iowa State Sen. Rob Hogg (R) listen as Tim Baldwin (C) discusses the history of flooding at Front Street Brewery.

Governor Inslee also talked with the co-owner of Front Street Brewery, Tim Baldwin. It flooded several months after it first opened in 1993 and this year.

Inslee is one of more than 20 democrats running for president before the Iowa caucuses next year.

Last month, he went to southwest Iowa to see the damage from the Missouri River flood.