This creeping natural disaster seems relentless in its pursuit south to the Gulf of Mexico. The relentless flood waters continue to move into Burlington, Iowa leaving a trail of disaster in its wake. As relief crews rummage through what's left of bigger cities like Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, small towns along the path of flood water are waiting for help.

"This use to be water encroaching on a building now you feel like this building in the channel of the river," said Michael Moyers working against the water.

Waters already at their front door as volunteers wade through the water to keep sand bagging.

"We had the water at our feet and we were trying to get the sand up fast enough," explained warehouse worker Brenda Fenton 

Emergency crews aren't expected for days.

"You have to run these pumps 100 percent of the time or the building would be gone," explained Moyers.

The river town's sinking economy relies on this business that is now neck deep in water.

"This is the highest point of the building that's why it's so crammed full," explained Fenton.

The factory warehouse is the city's largest employer and one of the oldest buildings. Crews are working round the clock to save the city's keystone as they pump out water and reinforce the sandbag levee.

"This is the worst flood I've ever seen," said Tad Agoglia of the Disaster Relief Solutions.

Agoglia watched in horror as Hurricane Katrina ripped apart New Orleans. He summed-up a solution in the aftermath of the storm by creating Disaster Relief Solutions.

"There's a need for a quicker response on the first day and the first week of disaster not days later," said Agoglia.

He and his crew are a step ahead of the water as they work to try to save the town. Free of charge, they're fighting back the flood water, which flows half a mile from the Mississippi River banks. 

The water broke the record of more than 25 feet. More water is expected to hit Quincy, Illinois, as well as Canton and Hannibal in the coming days.

Flood waters pushed past a sandbag levee just downstream.

"The waters were just so tremendous even some of the best levees where unable to hold," stated Agoglia.

Across the bridge the levee in Gulfport, Illinois, gave way draining some water from the streets of downtown Burlington.

"That's the only thing that saved this building was the levee breaking which is not really good news because somebody on that side got it," explained Moyers.

"It's not easy seeing so much death and destruction all across America. It does take a toll," stated Agoglia.

Agoglia said the Flood of '08 kept his crew wet from Indiana down to Iowa and now onto Missouri.

"We'll probably be heading south after this as the destruction continues to head south," said Agoglia.

Disaster Relief is calming fears of flooding. They say they'll get the town back on track because they sweep in more rapidly than the flood waters. 

"We'll try to stay ahead of the flood waters and see if we can maybe save another community and if not we'll be there to help them get thorough it," explained Agoglia.

Water crested Tuesday in Burlington at 25.73 feet and  rose overnight to 25.3 feet still above the record stage. 40,000 people are displaced from their homes on Thursday in the 24 counties now deemed federal disaster areas.