Kimmswick, bordered by the Mississippi River and Rock Creek, has long protected its community by building levees and berms to hold back both waterways. Flooding in 1993, 2012, 2015, and 2019 brought the community together as the city, residents, merchants, and volunteers sandbagged and built temporary levees to save the town from disaster. After the levees were constructed, pumps were rented to remove water and keep it from the town. Kimmswick has only three roads in and out, and during each flood event two of the three flooded, leaving only one accessible road.