what we're really concerned about is that high river stage raising the water level back where the lake is and then if that got topped, because that level of protection is not nearly as high as this, if that gets tops, the water will flow throughout the city and won't be held in a particular compartment of the city. we're an island. the river is on one side and both our eastern boundaries and the southern boundaries, the northern and western boundaries are the lake. >> reporter: it surrounds you? >> absolutely. you can see it's just starting to lap up under the planks of the wharf. so the water's just now getting here. it will be water all the way. it will touch this wall and extend all the way to that wall over there. those buildings right there that you see across the way, those will be under water. >> reporter: it's a staggering amount of water. >> it is. when you look at it from this perspective. like i said, our people and nor has anyone else seen anything