CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Residents of Cedar Rapids, Iowa’s second-largest city, hope a temporary floodwall that is protecting thousands of homes and downtown buildings from the rain-swollen Cedar River will hold as the rain-swollen Cedar River crests. The river is expected to reach its peak Tuesday morning at 23 feet before slowly falling through the week.

Residents fear a devastating flood like the one that hit the eastern Iowa city of 130,000 in 2008.

City crews and residents have been stacking sandbags and building larger barriers for days in anticipation of the high water, which followed days of heavy rain in northern Iowa.

Schools have been cancelled through Thursday and the city’s downtown and some neighborhoods are like ghost towns as resident abide by a request to evacuate.

The Cedar Rapids Animal Care and Control shelter is providing a safe haven for pets as flooding looms.

The Des Moines Register reports that officials hope the offer of shelter will help persuade people to leave their flood-prone homes. The officials say some people might remain in their homes because they can’t find places to stay that will allow pets.

More than 50 pets have already been taken to the shelter for temporary refuge.

The shelter also has compiled a list of hotels and other places that will accept pets.

Shelter manager Diane Webber says the shelter handled more than 1,000 dogs, cats and other stranded animals during the record 2008 flooding.