WASHINGTON, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Floodwaters swamped Iowa's capital and the state's other major cities on Saturday after a levee broke, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents, local media reported.

    A river levee was breached in Des Moines, the Midwestern U.S. state's capital, pouring floodwaters into streets and houses. A neighborhood with about 200 homes and 40 businesses were submerged.

    All government branches in the capital were crippled by the floods as the city hall and other buildings were all filled with water, local media reported. The University of Iowa had to suspend classes as the flood threatened its buildings and facilities.

    Extreme weather has left at least 16 people dead in the region's worst flooding in 15 years since May 25, said Bret Voorhees, spokesman for the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

    Iowa Gov. Chet Culver has declared 83 of the state's 99 counties disaster areas. The damage to his state could total billions of dollars, said Culver.

    In Cedar Rapids, the state's second-largest city, floodwaters broke the dams of the Cedar River, putting more than 400 city blocks waterlogged and forcing 4,000 people to flee their homes.

    Rail shipments in Iowa have been halted to a great extent as railways were covered or even washed out by floodwaters. Many highways had to be closed. Scores of bridges spanning overflowing rivers have been swept away or weakened.

    A total of 2,500 U.S. Coast Guard troops were deployed to evacuate residents in the state and at least 2,500 volunteers have been helping holding back the water by sandbagging.

    "Responding to a crisis like this takes the cooperation of everyone, from the federal government down to the local communities," Culver said in a statement.

    The region got a break from torrential rains Saturday morning but officials were concerned that a thundershower, which is expected in central Iowa Saturday evening, could bring river levels higher.

    The disaster began when a major tornado struck on May 25 and heavy rains followed. Iowa was the hardest hit region in the disaster, which also ravaged other states including Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

    In Illinois, seven counties along the Mississippi River threatened by the rising waters were declared disaster areas, officials said.

    The White House Saturday promised to provide victims with shelter and low-interest loans. (June 18)

Editor Zhang Yong