Oakville (Iowa): Sandbagging operations continued at a frantic pace in Illinois and Missouri as residents and officials battled to contain the Mississippi River after flooding that has resulted so far in 24 deaths and thousands of evacuations across six states.

President George W Bush, whose administration came under fire for its handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, arrived today to inspect two of Iowa s flooded cities, where the water is receding but families and businesses are knee-deep in the disheartening aftermath.

The stops in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City are Bush s first in the region since heavy rains sent rivers surging over their banks.

"Obviously, to the extent we can help immediately, we will help," Bush said during a briefing from local and federal officials at an emergency operations center set up at a local community college in Cedar Rapids.

Noting that several hundred federal emergency workers are fanning across Iowa, he added: "That ought to help the people in the smaller communities know that somebody is there to listen to them."

Afterward, Bush was taking an aerial tour of some of the damage from flooding that has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes across six states. He then was to visit Iowa City, a flood-damaged college town 30 miles (48 kilometers) to the southeast. In all, he was to be in the flood zone for less than three hours.

Bush was in Europe when the severe weather hit last week, but he made a point to show his deep concern from abroad.

Source : PTI