01:03 ‘Total Disbelief’: Families Isolated as Isaias Washes Away Only Road to Their Homes Heavy rain and rising waters washed away a private road in Huntingtown, Maryland, stranding 7 families on the wrong side of the break.

At a Glance Officials says the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, crested at almost 22 feet Tuesday.

Residents of more than 5,000 Cedar Rapids homes were advised to evacuate ahead of the flooding.

More than 100 homes were placed under a mandatory evacuation in Palo, Iowa.

Swollen by floodwaters, the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has crested at nearly 22 feet.

Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz announced that the river crested Tuesday morning , and officials with the National Weather Service confirmed the crest around 10 a.m. local time, the Gazette reported. Meteorologist Dave Cousins said the river is flowing somewhere between 84,000 to 85,000 cubic feet per second, much faster than the typical 24,000 cubic feet per second.

The river is expected to remain at the major flood stage of 16 feet or higher until Friday afternoon.

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Residents in Iowa's second-biggest city have been stacking thousands of sandbags for days as they readied the town for the river's rise following a week of flooding in the Midwest. They also put several HESCO barriers in place, which are normally used to protect servicemen and women from bullets and bombs on the battlefield , according to the Des Moines Register. Now, they're being used as flood walls.

"This is a war – a war against nature," Tom Richtsmeier, general manager of the electrical utility, told the Register.

Authorities urged thousands to leave their homes and businesses in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Sunday as floodwaters began to crest along the river. Volunteers filled some 250,000 sandbags to fortify homes.

"It’s crunch time in Cedar Rapids," said Mayor Ron Corbett during Monday’s flood briefing. "The next 48 hours are the most critical. The next 48 hours are the most dangerous. And the next 48 hours we need 100-percent cooperation from the citizens in both the evacuation area and outside the evacuation area."

The residents of about 5,000 homes were advised to evacuate before the floodwaters rose Monday night, according to the Des Moines Register. Although the evacuations are not mandatory, Cedar Rapids Fire Chief Mark English said they were strongly recommended.

Fire officials requested names of the next of kin from those who didn't leave their homes , according to USA Today.

"We have emergency personnel that can help you if needed," Corbett said Saturday. "They'll risk their lives for you. But we don't want them to risk their lives."

Officials are working around-the-clock to monitor the integrity of temporary levees that were built to keep the floodwaters out of the city, and so far, they say everything is working exactly as they'd hoped.

"The temporary flood protection systems have held to this point; however, there are no guarantees ," Greg Buelow, the city's public safety coordinator, told CNN.com. "We are still strongly encouraging people to evacuate."

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<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/ap_326303680857.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/ap_326303680857.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/ap_326303680857.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > The tops of mailboxes barely break the surface of floodwaters from the Cedar River in the North Cedar neighborhood of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016. (Brandon Pollock/The Courier via AP) (Brandon Pollock/The Courier via AP)

Schools in Cedar Rapids will be closed through Wednesday, according to school officials.

On Friday, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad signed a disaster proclamation for 13 counties affected by flooding, activating the Iowa National Guard to assist in preparedness and in response when there's damage.

Two Wisconsin men were killed by the floods that forced Gov. Scott Walker to declare an emergency for 13 counties in the western region of the state.

According to Vernon County authorities, 79-year-old Joseph Menne died Thursday night when his pickup truck, as well as the trailer it was pulling, became immobilized by floodwaters. His body was recovered about two hours after he was reported missing, the AP said.

The body of 53-year-old Michael McDonald was also recovered Thursday in western Wisconsin. Authorities told the AP that McDonald was killed when his home was destroyed by a mudslide. The house slid onto State Highway 35, where it blocked the road near Victory around 4:30 a.m.

"In my 33 years in Vernon County law enforcement, this is the worst I've ever seen," Sheriff John Spears told the AP while surveying flood damage in Victory. "This has been devastating."

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