Ten years ago this month, the Cedar River overflowed into Cedar Rapids, Iowa, destroying a wide swath of the city’s downtown and residential neighborhoods.

The flooding caused $5.4 billion in property damage, according to the city. It affected more than 1,000 blocks of homes and businesses, City Hall, the county courthouse and hundreds of other buildings.

The flood took an emotional toll on Cedar Rapids as well. The city purchased nearly 1,400 damaged properties and demolished them, City Manager Jeff Pomeranz said in a phone interview.

“That particular process was devastating for the community,” Pomeranz said. “People losing everything they have.”

By 2014, the city and its residents had rebuilt homes, businesses and government buildings. But they hadn’t built levees to keep out future floods.