When he first arrived in the flood-ravaged area of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, earlier this week, Albert Lea Salvation Army Capt. Jim Brickson said the whole region was like a great big lake.

There weren’t many roads open because of the flooding, and it looked just like a “lake with buildings sticking out of it,” Brickson said.

FEMA reported there were 9 square miles of the city underwater, he said.

And it wasn’t until the second day he was there, that the tops of some of the bridges finally began to peak out of the water.

“This has been talked about like Katrina, but the nice thing is the people had enough warning to get out,” Brickson said. “It didn’t hit all of a sudden, it hit over a few days.”

Regardless of receiving a more advanced warning, however, the people are still suffering from lost homes and resources, he said.

And for that reason, Brickson and his team were brought down to help. They are providing hydration, meals, cleaning kits and emotional support in Cedar Rapids and Palo, a small town that was completely evacuated.

A Salvation Army team from Mankato was also brought in to provide the same services in Iowa City, Iowa.

“I’m driving over the (Iowa River) right now and you could probably surf down it – the water is moving so fast,” said Capt. Bill Mealy, leader of the Mankato Salvation Army in a news release, while en route to setting up a mobile kitchen (canteen Monday morning in Iowa City at a shopping mall doubling as a disaster service center.

Toward the end of the week, Brickson was placed over both Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.

Brickson said in the Cedar Rapids area since he’s been there, they’re serving an average of 10,000 people and about 2,600 meals a day.

There are 8,000 homes and 25,000 individuals that were affected by the floods there, he noted.

“There’s a lot of stress,” Brickson said. “I don’t think there’s a lot of angry people, but there’s a lot of hurt people.”

He talked about how when there is a flood of that size, anything that’s even in the least bit porous has to be thrown out. That’s what’s causing anxiety for residents as this can include keepsakes and family heirlooms.

President George W. Bush visited the flood disaster in Iowa Thursday and said he is listening to small-town concerns and understands the exhaustion of rescuers.

“Obviously, to the extent we can help immediately, we will help,” Bush said.

The other members of the Albert Lea team include Stan Scheib, Kim Behrens, Kari Scheib, Tony Chavez, and Tim and Desta Hunt of Fergus Falls.

Their visit to Iowa followed response to Austin last week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.