COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa — Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain came to this flood-scarred town Thursday, surveying the damage and saying the people here will need significant federal help to recover and rebuild.

U.S. Sen. McCain of Arizona spent more than an hour walking around this Louisa County town with the mayor, sheriff and other area officials, meeting with business owners and shaking hands with townspeople who came out to greet him.

The floodwaters have crested here, but the water is still high and businesses in many places are still shut down. Some business owners who met with McCain said they were glad to see him.

“It means a lot,” said Mary Gipple Brune, who owns a consignment shop. “I just hope he can do something for us.”

McCain lauded the volunteer effort here and said federal help is clearly needed. “There’s going to be a lot of need for long-term assistance as well as short-term assistance,” he said. He added that a bill working through Congress to provide immediate disaster assistance has the support of the Bush administration but said a long-term commitment must be maintained, too.

Noting the tremendous amount of sandbagging that was done, he said, “That’s volunteerism and participation at its best.”

McCain’s visit came the same day President Bush toured flood-ravaged Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. The two maintained separate paths, though.

Columbus Junction Mayor Dan Wilson, who led McCain on a tour of this city, said owners were just getting back to see their flooded businesses and found a grim picture.

Several buildings are still flooded in a low area on the town’s east side, just below the confluence of the Iowa and Cedar rivers. It is unknown if the buildings are salvageable, Wilson said. He said it is too early to make any financial predictions on the damage.

 “It’s bad,” he said.

Reporter contact information:

Ed Tibbetts: 563-383-2327

etibbetts@qctimes.com.