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.”…