The Iowa banjir 2008 is a hydrological event involving most of the rivers in eastern Iowa beginning around June 8, 2008 and ending around July 1. Flood continues in the Upper Mississippi River in the southeastern part of the state for a few more days. The phrase "Iowa's Katrina" is often heard.
Floods include (from north to south, east to west), Upper Iowa River, Turkey, and Maquoketa River; outside the Driftless Area, they include catches from the Wapsipinicon River and the Iowa River, to include the last major tributary, the Cedar River (and its tributaries significant); and the Skunk River in its various branches. The Des Moines River has some minor floods, but floods and levees are mostly held quickly. The Upper Mississippi River that receives the flow from all these rivers remains in the flood stage.
The floods of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City are the most significant events. Recovery especially for Cedar Rapids is considered a prolonged and costly affair. For Iowa City, the damage rate is less than expected, but Cedar Rapids is larger than anticipated. In Iowa City, the University of Iowa campus is vulnerable, and serious floods do occur there.
President George W. Bush landed at Air Force One at The Eastern Iowa Airport on June 20. He is on a walking tour and by helicopter in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. The same day, Senator John McCain stopped at Columbus Junction.
Video Iowa flood of 2008
Origins
State Meteorologist Elwynn Taylor of Iowa State University said that the wet spring of 2008 can be traced to relatively warm and wet air during the winter. Taylor explains:
"The fog in winter is usually the result of a strong moist air flow from the Gulf of Mexico, which usually does not happen in the winter," he said. "Usually it happens in March and April, due to low pressure on New Mexico or high pressure on Bermuda, both common in summer, both rare in winter, and more than 80 percent of the humidity down in the Midwest is from the Gulf of Mexico , and the main reason for coming here is Bermuda's high pressure.The pressure came very early and was much stronger than usual in April and May of this year and it happened in 1993. "
Taylor is quoted at length in the article, concluding: "The rule of thumb is, if a storm begins in Texas Panhandle, it will come to Iowa, a condition that allows a storm to develop any conditions that move a storm into Iowa."
The winter of 2007-2008 was particularly severe in northeastern Iowa, with thick layers of snow that persisted in many areas until early spring rains. From the last week in April, the country experienced heavy rain, particularly in the form of a lightning storm, which saturated the ground. It was an extension of the order of the tornado outbreak The end of May 2008, which apart from the record tornado, also brought a large amount of rain in the form of a thunderstorm system.
Alternatively, contributing factors are extensive field installation (installation of tiled channels) in Iowa. Nearly 40% of the agricultural fields in Iowa are tiles, allowing water to flow faster from fields to waterways, possibly causing water levels to rise faster.
Also, farming closer to creeks and rivers, without adequate buffer strips, allows water to move quickly from the field directly to the surface of the water.
Maps Iowa flood of 2008
Effects
While the Great Flood of 1993 was larger in terms of continents, in local Iowa terms, the Midwest floods in June 2008 were much worse. However, lessons learned in 1993, helping to prevent or repair the damage, expand as before; one example is how the city of Des Moines raised its dikes around its domestic water and sewage treatment plant. Flood levels in 2008 may be less than when the floods of 1851, but it is difficult to compare the impact of two floods due to changes in population, economy, and land use. A study conducted by Mark Burton at the University of Tennessee and Michael J. Hicks at Ball State University was based on post 1993 flood data. However, the 2008 floods damaged key infrastructure outside the model (eg the Iowa University library) due to changes in population and action flood protection. However, Burton & amp; Hicks's research did identify about $ 3 billion in crop damage, which turned out to be very close to the actual damage.
Flooding led to the evacuation of many homes. In eastern Iowa along the Iowa River and Cedar River, floods surpassed the 1993 flood.
Floods also forced the closure of large numbers of roads in the eastern half of the state, a situation that affects more people than those directly affected by flooding; in particular, the Interstate 80 and I-380 parts are closed. The closure of the bridge in Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City disrupted normal traffic patterns, and caused extensive detours.
Train traffic is also highly compromised. Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad (IC & E Railroad) have washing between Mason City and Nora Springs. Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Co. (CRANDIC/CIC) are severely affected; the bridge in Cedar Rapids was destroyed by a flood while the levee that was pacing up and down near Coralville was also washed away. The Keokuk Junction Railway (KJRY) also reports disruption. Amtrak service diverted, away from Iowa; a number of trains make their passengers board the bus.
Amtrak service recovery
Amtrak will refund service on July 5, 2008 at California Zephyr from Chicago to Denver. The service was suspended due to flooding in Iowa. Two other routes that were closed by the floods have resumed operations on 1 July. Motorcycle racers are used temporarily as alternative transportation.
Upper Iowa River
Decorah
On Monday, June 9, the Upper Iowa River in Decorah flooded when a levee built by a shorter college was breached. The Army Corps of Engineers embankment is held in all parts of Decorah. Up to 6 inches (152 mm) of rain has fallen in the previous 48 hours. Water flooded the bottom of the Luther College campus, damaging the athletic field and the Regen Center. Winneshiek District officials call this the worst flooding occurred in Decorah because the embankment system is currently in force in the 1940s. Other parts of the city were flooded. Parts of the city were evacuated. In the meantime, the worry of losing sewerage systems leads to 'please do not block' orders; on Friday, June 13, 2008, this order was withdrawn, but requests for cautious use remain in effect. This article also alludes to the difficult cleansing faced by Decorah and Winneshiek County.
Dorchester
Further downstream in Upper Iowa, in a small, undiscovered area of ​​Dorchester, located on the left bank of Waterloo Creek, a massive flood is experienced. In particular, the trailer court suffered great damage.
The flood began on the morning of Sunday, June 8; people were advised to evacuate that Saturday afternoon. About seven to ten inches (254 mm) of rain fell in the area on Saturday. The main troublemaker is Waterloo Creek, a normally quiet tributary of trout to Upper Iowa in Dorchester. The Eitzen, Minnesota Fire Department responded to the flood. Cleaning and recovery is in progress.
Turkish River
Spillville and Fort Atkinson
Along the upper Turkish River, the historic towns of Spillville and Fort Atkinson are flooded, with broken roads. In particular, the one-year-old bridge that carries the Iowa Highway 24 has an approach on one side of the swept river.
Elkader
Further downstream in Elkader, the river was crested in the morning on Tuesday, June 10 at nearly 31 feet (9.4 m), the besting of the previous record was set in 1991. The river has retreated on Thursday, June 12
On June 16, most of the water has been pumped out of the building. In "at least 20 houses were destroyed and nine suffered major damage".
Damage was initially estimated to be in the range of $ 8 million, of which about $ 3.7 million in damage to urban infrastructure; these numbers are expected to increase. About 100 people were evacuated.
Maquoketa River
In the upper area of ​​Maquoketa, Monticello is experiencing high water.
Manchester
Beginning in early May, Manchester has experienced a series of floods, totaling 24 inches (610 mm) of rain during that period. Downtown alone has been hit four times. Soil saturation causes underground flooding.
Wapsipinicon River
Independence
Independence experienced flooding in lowland areas.
Anamosa
Violation of the embankment occurred at Anamosa on Thursday, June 12. Although the flood is not extensive, but he got rid of municipal sewage treatment facilities. The Wapsi was crested at 18.25 feet (5.56 m), breaking records older than 16 feet (4.9 m) in 1999.
The cost to return the sewer system to full function is $ 3 million; Initial screening, however, is expected to return on line in the second week of August.
Olin and Oxford Junction
Oxford Junction succeeded in protecting its water mills and the American Legion Hall. Upriver, Olin suffered flooding in the lowlands but the water receded on June 15.
Olin suffered damage of about $ 80,000. At least 80 houses suffered damage.
With Oxford Junction, nearby Cooksville area has about 30 evacuated homes. The city suffered damage on the road to a sewage treatment facility.
Both cities were spared from greater damage due to upstream violations in the Massilon-Toronto area, which flooded up to 1,000 acres (4.0 km) of farmland, relieving what would be a higher symbol..
De Witt
De Witt sits above Wapsi, between two small tributaries. Areas outside the city are expected to flood, and some sandbagging is underway. The expected peak near De Witt is 14 feet (4.3 m), close to a record set in 1993. The actual peak is 14.13 feet (4.31 m) on Monday, June 18; The flood stage is 11 feet (3.4 m).
Iowa River
The Iowa River has as its main tributary the Cedar River.
Iowa City-Coralville
Coralville Lake has water flowing over an emergency spillway at a record breaking top of just short of 717 feet (219 m). Downstream, Iowa continues to increase, increasingly flooding parts of Coralville and Iowa City. Smaller creeks add to problems, especially in Iowa City along Ralston Creek and in Coralville along Clear Creek.
On Saturday, June 14th, the river is really rising. Warning issued for people to get ready to evacuate from the flood plain of 500 years. The University has time to prepare, move important library collections and millions of dollars of artwork out of harm's way, through the help of volunteers. Bookstores in the student union have their contents move to higher ground. The University's electric power plant is closed on Saturday, June 14, because parts of it begin to take water.
In Coralville, washing levees that hold the impressions of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railroad and very high water greatly disrupts urban access to Iowa City. DOT decided to close US Highway 6 in two places in the area; one in downtown Coralville and the other in Iowa City at the intersection of Highway 6 and Iowa Highway 1.
The river reaches 31.5 feet (9.6 m), about two feet lower than expected. Sixteen buildings reported on the campus of the University of Iowa were flooded, including Hancher Auditorium; this amount is then upgraded to at least twenty. There are over 6 million sandbags filled in Johnson County, which are more than filled during Hurricane Katrina, and are a national record.
Campus Arts is severely affected. Art and Arts Building History of the University of Iowa Art and the Western Art House was heavily damaged by the flood. Hancher Auditorium took the flood down to the stage stage and into the middle of the main floor seats. The Voxman Music House has been filled up to the first floor level. Theater building was also badly damaged by the flood. The Iowa University Art Museum was heavily damaged and the building was made unmanageable by Lloyds's London, an art insurance company (meaning art collections can never return to this site). On the east side of the river, the Adler Journalism Building, Becker Communications Studies Building all have water in their basement. The main library has only a small flood, and then only in its basement. The Iowa Memorial Union takes water on the ground floor and downstairs. The Mayflower Hall, home to about 1,000 students during the school year, takes water to underground parking lots and utility areas and to the first floor. At one time, the dormitory was projected to remain closed for at least a semester, if not for the entire academic year 2008-2009. However, the damage to the building was not as important as ever thought and the Mayflower was opened for the 2008-09 school year. The campus has miles of utility tunnels, some of which cross under the river, and maintaining air and electrical conditioning services are fragile. The summer course resumes on Monday, June 23rd.
Hills
Hills is about six miles (10 km) downstream from Iowa City. The city was full of sandbags that weekend, and there was hope that water would spread to open farmlands and dodge the city. The hope came true and there were some flooded basements. The city performed on ABC World News Sunday on June 15th. A reporter interviewed Major Russ Bailey. Reports show people swinging sand in front of the town's maintenance building.
Wapello
Wapello, the county district of Louisa District encountered a breach of the embankment and although some houses and farmland were destroyed, the city remained dry due to its higher elevation.
Oakville
Oakville is the last city on the Iowa River before it empties into Mississippi. Authorities believe it will be in danger when the river is crested and has issued evacuation orders to come into effect on Monday, June 16. However, on the morning of June 14 a river embankment near the city failed to become a disaster, resulting in an immediate emergency evacuation order. In an interview with NPR, the mayor of Oakville recounted that he was at the town hall when a National Guard vehicle drove into the building and a Guard came out and started shouting, "The embankment will go out, get out, get out now."
Within hours, most of the city was submerged under several meters of water and remained flooded for days. On July 1st, the embankment was still open to the river, and the water still passed through it. Corps Engineers have built temporary dams of rocks and land, but the future of the city is still uncertain as nearly all buildings are damaged or destroyed, almost no residents carry flood insurance, and repair on permanent dikes has been postponed for finding pottery shards.
Cedar River
A number of cities, and rural areas, are experiencing serious flooding, the most extreme being in Cedar Rapids.
Charles City
Charles Town experienced the earliest flooding in Cedar, beginning on Sunday, June 9. It is reported as the worst flood in the city's history. The city's historic bridge is wiped out.
Waverly
Waverly caught rather unprepared for river heights, causing officials to scramble; the river peaked locally at an altitude of 19.33 feet (5.89 m) on June 10, with a second symbol 13.73 feet on June 15. More than 2500 people were evacuated. Most cities are flooded with homes and businesses that have been damaged by floods. After the flood, 151 homes were reported affected by the flood, with 69 properties eventually purchased by the city. Since the flood of 2008, Waverly has made official forecasting points for better aid by predicting peak levels of river and impact information - information not available during the 2008 floods. In 2011, Waverly completed the construction of a 4.3 million dollar inflatable dam. The dam is designed to protect more than 400 homes and businesses in the event of a 100-year flood and will provide assistance in a 500-year flood event like 2008.
Cedar Falls-Waterloo
Cedar Falls, home of the University of Northern Iowa, is on the west bank of the Cedar River, and north of Waterloo, which occupies both banks.
Hundreds of homes in Waterloo and north of Cedar Falls are under water, along with Waterloo town center. This led to the closure of the bridge, cutting the city in half. The Waterloo Courier lost the use of its printing plant but continues printing with the Cedar Rapids Gazette property. On June 7, 2012, 150 homes in northern Cedar Falls were purchased as part of a flood relief. http://wcfcourier.com/app/special/flood_buyout/
On the morning of Wednesday, June 11, the KWWL television news station was thrown from the air due to a "flood-related" power outage but regained power in the afternoon using a generator. Then on the night of Monday, June 16, at about 9:30, KWWL lost power, which then drove them out of the air, and had a small electric fire in some of their buildings. An electric motor was burned and sent smoke through the building. They can continue the broadcast around 1:00 am Tuesday morning.
After three floods in the 1960s, Waterloo and Cedar Falls spent years building dikes and flood gates along the Cedar River and its two tributaries. During the 2008 floods, water was trapped behind the embankment and was kept from returning to the river. Waterloo City is now investing in pumping stations to pump water from behind the embankment in case of future floods.
La Porte City
La Porte City previously experienced a significant flood in late May. On June 10, the city prepares for a second attack.
Vinton
Vinton experienced the worst floods in its history beginning on Wednesday morning, June 10 with a peak upwards of 24 feet (7.3 m). The flood crippled the municipal power plant, flooding about 15 blocks along the river. Benton County Prison must be evacuated. The sheriff's office was flooded, like a basement, where 911 dispatchers were stationed.
Palo
The small town of Palo, just upstream from Cedar Rapids, and home to the only Iowa nuclear power plant, underwent mandatory evacuations. The nuclear plant was not harmed, but lost ground-based landline service, because the land route was flown through Palo.
On Wednesday, June 11, the city completely evacuated all of its 980 residents. All road access is then disconnected, and the city is completely underwater. About 90% of the structures in the community are damaged from water. People should return to their homes on June 15, but are delayed due to dangers such as contamination due to flooding and floating propane tanks. On Tuesday, June 17, it was reported that most of the residents had returned home to deal with the damage. Some buildings are more damaged than others; some have only a flooded basement to handle, but for others, the water reaches the first floor level.
About a month after flood mayor Terry Sanders resigned and Jeff Beauregard was appointed as a temporary mayor. Beauregard has been recognized for his flood recovery efforts, winning the Iowa City Rhonda Wood Johnson 2008 award, among others. The community has been recognized as a model for flood relief efforts. Due to recovering efforts and accelerated processes such as temporary shelter, as of January 1, the majority of Palo residents return to their homes. The city issued a one-cent sales tax in March 2009 with 82% approval to deal with community recovery.
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids began to be affected by the Cedar River on Monday, June 9. Ellis Boulevard NW near Ellis Park was closed due to flood waters. The water almost passed the access road to Ellis's ship port on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, June 10, 2008, Edgewood Road from Glass Road NE to O Ave NW (including the bridge) was closed when flood waters passed the western part of the road near the City Gardens area.
Mid American Energy began halting natural gas services to Time Check and Osbourne Park neighborhoods in northwest Cedar Rapids around 5 pm. on Tuesday, June 10th. Alliant Energy reports that the electricity service to the Time Check area will be discontinued. However, electricity has not been discontinued on Wednesday, June 11 at 6:00 am.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa is one of those, if not the most hit areas during the 2008 flood. Cedar Creek is 31,12 feet (19 feet above the flood stage) at 10:15 pm on Friday, June 13, 2008, with floods expected to fully retreated on June 24, except for heavy rain.
The 1st Street NW Time Check Levee, built in the 1930s after the Great Flood of 1929 (20 foot peak), was completely submerged by the Cedar River, according to a KCRG-TV video taken on the morning of Thursday, June 12, 2008 A homeowner measured from the water line at his home to the same point with the top of the embankment using the laser level and found that the embankment had been under about 56Ã,¼ (4.5 feet) of water.
Around 1,300 blocks or 10 square miles, including most of the downtown area, are flooded, with more than 5,000 houses affected. Mays Island (which includes the Cedar Rapids City Hall, the Linn County Courthouse, the county jail, and the federal courthouse) is flooded to the second floor. Buildings that did not suffer first floor damage have flooded the basement. The Czech Village, Time Check, and Cedar Valley/Rompot districts were particularly damaged. Domestic water distribution of the city is compromised, since all but one of the city wells are flooded, and restrictions on water use are enforced; but through massive rafting efforts, the last remaining wells in the city remained in operation throughout the disaster. Rivers fall faster than previously thought. The 31.3 foot (9.5 m) revision number is issued for the emblem.
Linn County moved most of his government offices, including county courts, to the Kirkwood Community College campus and then to a Montgomery Ward store in Westdale Mall.
Exceptional disruption to urban utilities takes place. Electricity was cut off into a flooded part of the city by an electricity company, Alliant Energy, like natural gas; telephone and internet services are also disrupted.
When the water recedes, the flooded buildings are checked by a "strike team" before the owner is allowed to return and inspect the damage. They use color coding system. Green means the building is safe to live in, meaning yellow entry should be restricted and at its own risk, red indicates serious damage/no entry, and purple is then used for buildings to be dismantled. In the biggest problem with houses that collapsed basements or foundations. In cases where the water has reached the first floor or higher, there is a failure of the floor beam, leading to collapse or collapsing into the basement. The Time Check environment is devastated, where several hundred homes are said to be out of safety and will be destroyed.
On the third anniversary of the disaster (June 12, 2011), Cedar Rapids is still rebuilding of the greatest flood ever. The city has not rebuilt the main branch of public libraries, the new federal courthouse is under construction, and the city government is in the process of returning to May Island. These projects have been completed. The iconic Dairy Queen in downtown Ave has disappeared, along with several hundred houses destroyed, and many businesses can not recover. On June 13, 2011, a replica of the Statue of Liberty was ratified again on May Island after being washed away by the flood.
Statistics
- Defective home : 5,238 (package: 5,390)
- Business is broken : 940 (package: 1,049)
- Non-profit organization/broken belief : 77
- Block affected city : 1,300 (10 square miles)
- River level : 31.12 ft peak June 13, 2008 at 10.15 (12 foot flood stage),
One month after emblem : 8.66 ft, Two months after emblem : 4.43 ft,
- The previous record peak : 20 feet in 1929 and 1951, 19.27 feet in 1993
Cultural losses
The Paramount Theater, one of the city's main cultural spots, is flooded to the first floor. The console organ of the 1928 Wurlitzer theater was found to have drifted onto the stage and the wood console was said to be a total loss. The historic theater has just completed an extensive restoration project before the flood. In July 2009, the city indicated that they had chosen an architect to direct the reconstruction of the theater. While the inside of the building was severely damaged, the theater structure remained relatively healthy.
The African American Museum and Cultural Center takes water to the first floor, and it remains to be seen how many of the 1,700 exhibits can be saved.
The National Czech & amp; Slovak Museum & amp; The library receives water to the first floor area, with the loss of many artifacts and documents. The building was moved and elevated.
The first floor of the main branch of the Cedar Rapids Public Library is filled with flood waters. With a collection of books that are said to be around 290,000, the entire adult section is missing, such as the reference section. The children's collection, however, is located on the second floor which is not submerged. Plans to expand the building and to increase library retribusi are suspended. On July 3, 2008, the library director stated that the main branch may not be reopened for at least three years, with the possibility of being open to a new location altogether. Meanwhile, the library rented additional space at Westdale Mall, which already operates a branch. FEMA will not pay to rebuild the main branch on the current site, prone to flooding, so that property exchanges are conducted with commercial property owners away from rivers; new owners pay for renovations, and FEMA pays a new library on the square from the art museum of the city. In 2013, the downtown library branch is completed by OPN Architects, a regional design company located in Cedar Rapids. The project has received numerous awards in library design and construction by the American Library Association and the American Institute of Architects.
Helen G. Nassif YMCA was badly damaged, with an estimated 7 ½ feet of water on the first floor. The 65,000 square foot (6,000 m 2 ) center facility was built in 2002 at a cost of $ 8 million. Repairs are running quickly, and the facility has reopened..
The Mother Mosque of America, the oldest building in the United States built specifically for use as a mosque, has flooded its basement, destroying documents and artefacts a century.
The basement of the Cedar Rapids Theater, the stage, and most of the auditorium were flooded. Wurlitzer organs are heavily damaged and rebuilt from the state; is currently undergoing the final installation before re-use. The theater was able to return to its downtown location in February 2009 after extensive rebuilding and renovation efforts.
United States Court
The previous congress had authorized the new United States Courthouse to replace the bustling and ugly buildings located on 1 SE Road. Both senators of Iowa are said to be pushing hard to move the appropriations needed to build new facilities, as it does not make sense to repair flood damaged buildings today. By 2013, construction has been completed at the new Cedar Rapids Federal Court, and is located across the street from Helen G. Nassif YMCA on 8th Avenue Southeast.
Law enforcement
The flood strongly emphasized the local police and the sheriff's department. Cedar Rapids Police Chief Greg Graham personally called the Minneapolis Police Chief, Tim Dolan, and asked for emergency help. Graham officers have been working for over twenty-four hours. Minneapolis sent the first contingent of officers headed by Deputy Chief Rob Allen. The state activates the National Guard and sends about 750 people to the city. Iowa State Patrol Member, Iowa Public Safety Department, and Iowa Criminal Investigation Division responded. The Sheriff's department of the other Iowa county also dispatched labor. The federal government is also deploying agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, ATF, the Drug Eradication Administration, and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Nebraska and Lincoln State Patrols, the Nebraska Police Department dispatched officers.
Officers from the Twin Cities area also appeared, including members of the Hennepin County office, Minnesota sheriff, and officers from the Minneapolis police department, Bloomington and Saint Paul, as well as Minnesota state troops. Hennepin County Sheriff's Department also provides portable repeaters to help radio communications. The existing repeater has been knocked out by the flood waters.
The list of all the agencies deployed to help in Cedar Rapids alone is as follows: ATF Police Minneapolis Minnesota, Iowa Cass County Sheriff, Iowa Decorah Police, Iowa Delaware County Sheriff, DEA, FBI, Minnesota County Hennepin Sheriff, ICE, Indian Columbian Police, Guards Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Navy Reserve, Jones County Iowa Sheriff, Lincoln Nebraska Police, Sheriff Linn County Iowa, Lisbon Iowa Police, Marion Iowa Police, Iowa State Police, Iowa State Police, Iowa State Police , Police Minneapolis Minnesota, Mt. Police Vernon Iowa, State Police Nebraska, Iowa Region 3 & amp; 4 FUSION centers, St. Paul Minnesota Police, Toledo Iowa Police, US Coast Guard, US Department of Narcotics Enforcement, US Marshals Service, US Postal Inspector Police, US Department of Enforcement Department, Sheriff Warren County Iowa, and West Branch Iowa Police
All of these additional help are used to block roads and barricades. Extra officers were also stationed with the Cedar Rapids Police officers to help patrol the affected area, as well as handle excess calls for services generated by the flood. It was reported that officers from St. Police Department Paul Minnesota was recorded to handle regular calls such as bar checks at Marion, as well as FBI and ICE agents who responded with the Toledo Toledo Police for theft in Cedar Rapids.
The police department, located on the west bank of the river, was flooded and evacuated. On Friday, June 20, 2008, they have re-occupied the building as a purge.
Economic loss
Job losses are estimated to be in the range of 6,000-7,000. Officials are urging those whose work is swept away by the flood to file unemployment insurance, even those who may not qualify, as unemployment benefits are available.
The business loss is considerable. Many small businesses are basically destroyed, especially in the Czech Village area. The Cargill plant is expected to reopen quickly. Archer Daniels Midland hopes to get his factory back online by the end of June.
Quaker Oats is a great company in Cedar Rapids. Mark Schiller, Quaker president, said, "We've been here for 140 years and we'll be here for 140 more years." The plant has been operating in Cedar Rapids since 1873. Schiller pointed out that the factory was largely undamaged, and that the main obstacle to reopening completely was the lack of adequate electrical services, as well as the fact that the railway line was closed.
Recovery
On Wednesday, June 18, the water has receded, leaving only remnants in the settlement of Time Check on the western bank of the river and the Czech Village district, located on both sides of the river. Importantly, most of the bridges have reopened, removing the pressure on I-380 which is the only intersection that remains open (and only with tight restrictions on who can cross). While the city center becomes accessible, power is off, and traffic signals out; this is because the transformer in the basement still receives water. Water restrictions that impose restrictions on use are also reduced, and people are allowed to use showers and washing machines.
In June 2013, some residents are still struggling with the consequences of flooding. For most, "new normal" has been found, including a new sense of community.
Sutliff
Severe flooding damages the National Register of Historic Places of Sutliff Bridge at Sutliff. Columbus Columbus, Columbus City, and Fredonia
Columbus Junction,
Columbus Junction, Columbus City, and Fredonia are all close together, at the confluence of the Cedar River and the Iowa River. Columbus Junction is located on the southern edge of Iowa. Columbus City in south Columbus Junction. Fredonia is on the northern edge very close to the confluence of the rivers.
Initial efforts in the sandbag at Columbus Junction were abandoned Saturday, June 14, when it was realized that such efforts would be in vain. The resources are then diverted to Oskaloosa, on the Skunk River.
Fredonia and parts of Columbus Junction and Columbus City were evacuated. Residents were allowed to return on 16 June. Columbus Junction and Columbus City have more water, but are under a boil order.
Governor Chet Culver was flown to the area by Blackhawk helicopter on June 16. Louisa County received a presidential disaster declaration.
Tipton
Tipton is the center of Cedar County. The district is reported to have been damaged, and the area is declared a presidential disaster area.
Skunk River
Colfax
Colfax is located east of Des Moines. On June 9th, South Skunk has improved enough to start sandbags.
The US Highway 61 is closed five miles (8 km) south of Burlington because of the rising water blocking the road.
Oskaloosa
Oskaloosa is located between the South Skunk River and the Des Moines River downstream of Lake Red Rock. The National Guard who has been appointed to Columbus Junction is sent to Oskaloosa. Around 7 am on Thursday, June 12 sandbags begin in an attempt to save the city's water plants. Sandbags continued until noon when they were allowed to stop. Later that day the Army Technical Corps ordered them to continue the sandbags. Sandbag starts around 5 pm and continues until late at night. Musco Lighting sends a portable light truck to help volunteers see overnight. The sandbag continued until about noon on Friday 13 June when the sandbag was left to stop. The confusing sandbags save the town's water mills.
Des Moines River
Des Moines
In Des Moines, a dumpster flooded the Birdland Park area north of downtown. The river has crossed its peak on Friday, June 13, but the advisor is still valid.
In the morning hours of June 13, the Army Corps of Engineers called for a complete evacuation of the 100-year flood zone in downtown Des Moines, but the data used to call evacuation was wrong due to the wrong water flow rate of the sensor. Residents return to their homes at the end of the day.
Ottumwa
Ottumwa is downstream from Oskaloosa. An electrical substation is threatened. Elements of the 334rd Brigade Brigade of Iowa National Guard and 1st Battalion, 133th Infantry, previously deployed Cedar Falls and Oskaloosa, formed a human chain to successfully irrigate the facility.
Mississippi River
The Army Corps was forced to close the river for navigation, intermittently, from Lock and Dam no. 11 to Key and Dam No. 25. On Sunday, June 15, Keys 13 to 25 are closed, making 281 miles (452 ​​km) of the Mississippi River inaccessible to commercial river traffic. The Mississippi River traffic continued on Saturday, July 5, according to the Army Engineer Corps, as the last key to be opened for operation, Lock 25, reopened early Saturday.
Dubuque
Dubuque is not as influenced as other Iowa cities. During the flood, Dubuque only occasionally experienced flash floods on the Maquoketa River Small or Catfish Creek. Key and Dam No. 11 had its gates opened by the Army Corps to prevent the dam from being covered by the flood stage water.
Quad Cities
The Mississippi River is above the 15-foot flooded surface in Quad City on June 11, 2008. Davenport is the largest city bordering Mississippi that has no permanent walls or dikes. On June 12, 3.28 inches of rain fell within six hours at Quad City City International Airport thanks to a massive thunderstorm and strong winds, breaking the rainfall record, for that time period, adding to the massive flooding problem. The rain not only caused the flood of the Mississippi River, but also floods in Duck Creek. Duck Creek is a river that winds through the center of Davenport. Duck Creek is four feet above the flood stage. Three of the seven main roads, including the US Route 61, were used as a detour for Interstate 80, which crossed the tributaries blocked due to massive flooding on the road. The river is expected to peak on June 16, at an altitude of 21.3 feet (6.5 m) of 6.3 feet (1.9 m) above the flood surface, then begins to fall shortly thereafter. The river is expected to fall to 18.6 feet (5.7 m) on June 21, but will not return to the flood stage as high as 15 feet (4.6 m) until sometime during the week of 22 June. The YouTube article "Lightning Beating Ground/Flooded Mississippi" is one of several video shots related to the terrific lightning storm that created floods at Duck Creek during Thursday, June 12 and Friday, June 13.
Burlington
In the city of Burlington, the river plays havoc with national transport.
In the early hours of the morning of May 1, 2008, five river barges were released from their moorings at the upstream staging site near Burlington. While the two ran aground before they reached the city, the remaining three struck the east pier away from the Great River Bridge with minimal impact. The bridge was closed for traffic until the afternoon of the same day, after the Iowa Department of Transportation inspected and found it structurally healthy. One of the barges continues downstream and becomes nested under the Burlington Rail Bridge. After two failed recovery attempts, the 140-year-old rail bridge reopened the next morning with a barge still wedged underneath.
The floods caused the city to cover the river area along Front Street to Main Street. Several buildings along Main Street, including local courthouses and historic railway depots, use sandbags around the buildings in an attempt to keep flood waters up in the bay. The building as far west of Fourth Street (four blocks west, and parallel to, the riverbank), and the historic fire station, pumping out their basements due to the water flood.
On the morning of June 10, all rail traffic stopped at the BNSF Bridge and diverted to another safer bridge, as the river level was just a little over five feet from the bottom of the rail, and flooding had begun to take over the western approach of the bridge to Iowa , on the morning of June 15, the river had put itself to the bottom of the bridge, hiding all the docks, and causing the bridge to appear as if only resting on the water.
The city's railroad yard, which runs parallel to the river, began flooding for the first time since the 1993 Flood in the afternoon of June 12, as it spanned their diversion, and began following the trail that led out of the city. In the middle of the afternoon of June 15, the whole yard was flooded, on the morning of June 16, the flood waters were so deep on the railway, the tracks were no longer visible.
Several beachfront buildings, including the Warning Auditorium, and the historic Port of Burlington building, began sand-grinding efforts on the morning of June 11 to prevent flooding from overflowing.
On the morning of June 12, flood waters began to fill business parks along the banks of the river, including the Burlington Port and Warning Auditorium, both located on the banks of the river, on the morning of June 16, both buildings were flooded. to the main floor, when the flood water seeps through the gap in between the sandbags, making work done to protect them useless, the open stage connected to the southern facade of the Port of Burlington building is invisible, nor is the gentle access that runs along the entrance west. (the stage was built five meters from the ground, and made of concrete, access points, and an elevated sidewalk connected there.)
During the afternoon of June 14, the city, as well as Des Moines County, evacuated all residents living east of Highway 99 because the dikes in the area threatened to fail. A bulge was visible on one side of the embankment, and water pooled near the base on the dry side, on the morning of June 16, three more bulges were found along Tama Levee, the longest dike in the area, and one of the few survived the Flood of 1993, this made the workers in the area claim that it was no longer a problem if, but when the embankment would break.
One of the largest corporations in the city, Case Corporation, has been threatened with flooding, due to its proximity to the river, and due to the proximity to the dam that was severely damaged by the constant rain in the area, on the morning of June 15, the Case had stopped all production, factory, allowing workers to assist in sandbag efforts, surprisingly, the factory survived the flood unscathed, the fourth flood it had borne, (the building that overshadowed the Case). The plant has stood at its current location since the late 1890s, first as the Furniture Brothers. The factory, as Case, became operational in 1937, and survived the floods of 1965, 1973, and 1993.)
By the afternoon of June 14 residents were warned that water might be shut down, as the possibility of flood waters reached a processing plant along the river bank, however, on the morning of June 15, it was stated that the plant would not be affected unless the river reached its peak, or above the 30 foot mark (9.1 m), which, according to records, has not occurred in more than a century, and not since the water treatment plant was recently built in.
The Burlington newspaper, The Hawk-Eye, continues to operate throughout the flood, although it is close to the Mississippi River. Never stops publication in its history.
One of two major highways serving the Burlington area, US Highway 61, is closed in the southern city, near the district line. On July 19, 2008, the Great River Bridge, connecting West 34th Highway with Illinois was officially reopened after being closed for almost a month. The Great River Bridge is an important connection to Illinois, as nearly 40% of Burlington's workforce lives near Illinois; also, some Burlington residents work in cities in Illinois.
The morning of June 15, a section on Main Street between Division Street and Jefferson Street was closed, due to the rising flood.
The overall length of Highway 99, from the city limits, to the northern county line, is blocked, due to rising flood waters, and breaks along the embankment on the Iowa River near Oakville (the road has been blocked near the northern county line, due to construction).
The National Weather Service predicted the river would peak on June 18 at 25.8 feet (7.9 m), exceeding the peak of the 1993 Flood of 0.7 feet, making it the second worst flood in the city's history.
On the morning of June 15, several roads were closed, making travel difficult, among them, Front Street, running all the way, Main Street between Division Street and Jefferson Street, Mill Dam Road, Tama Road and all the side streets, US Highway 61, and County Highway 99, on the morning of June 17, Main Street has been blocked further, extending another block to the south, and Division Street has been blocked to Third Street. , along with Jefferson Street, and Valley Street.
On June 15, Locks and Dams 18, north of the city, have declared that if the river does not begin to recede immediately, they will be forced to open floodgates, as the possibility of a river over the dam.
On the morning of June 15th, the stables of Lake Stevenson, near Gulfport, Illinois, gave way, carrying the depth of the river down, but completely eliminating the small town of 200, located just across the river in Illinois.
On July 23, 2008, the city of Gulfport, IL remained under water. Since Gulfport sits below the Mississippi river level, Gulfport needs to be drained using a pump. Many businesses and homes continue to rot or are destroyed.
When August is almost over, Gulfport has been pumped out, complete destruction of several buildings, including The Beverage Mart seen, these buildings will be destroyed then, on September 23, no plans are made for reconstruction.
The city saw no assistance until the following summer, when some construction companies were finally allowed into the area, which had been blocked by Illinois State Police, and the Henderson County Sheriff's office.
In September 2008, the area, once again, became the victim of a massive flood, as a river overflow, known as Flint Creek, as well as a small pool area, known as Dumbbell Lake, jumped over their bank after a week of heavy rain, caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ike. Tama Road was badly damaged by the raging floods, and was caught on both sides of the road. The flood was so severe that the clay dikes were eroded, and the grass of concrete roads cracked, and destroyed, causing widespread destruction along two miles of road. In December 2008, the road remained closed due to major damage. In some areas along County Highway 99, flood waters come against high dikes, making the fields on the east side of the road seem to be nothing more than a large lake area for about five miles, floods can also be seen together. certain areas on US Highway 61, at the north end of town. Although no highway is flooded, or closed, the damage is noticeable, especially when County Highway 99 is at its most vulnerable, two of the four piers are built for new bridges near the north line that are hit by water, and have to be rebuilt. As of December 2009, Tama Street is still not paved, with gravel filling areas where old concrete roads have been released. In areas where roads have been destroyed, three-foot-high altitudes, or more directly visible. The ongoing argument between the Burlington City Council and the Des Moines Control Board over road responsibilities prevented any improvement from happening (in the mid-1970s, the city had concretely paved the way, taking responsibility from the area, The city's argument was that the road is located outside the city limits, and therefore, the district is responsible). Finally, in early 2010, after the last winter melting of the highway further, completely destroying what was left of the road, the country stepped in, and took over the reconstruction, charging the city for their services. The road was opened later that same year, completely repeated, and built with new waterproof concrete roads, and some new drainage sewers.
Media responses
Local TV news stations go to wall-to-wall coverage starting Wednesday, June 11. KGAN-TV (CBS, channel 2) and KCRG-TV (ABC, channel 9), in Cedar Rapids, and KWWL-TV, (NBC, channel 7), in Waterloo all live in the air providing local coverage, preempting network programs, even to include preempt network news program night. KCRG removed the ABC Game 4 coverage of the 2008 NBA Finals to its digital sub-channel, while KWWL aired NBC coverage of the 2008 US Open Golf Championship. The station resumed its June 15 regular program.
Des Moines television broadcasts all local coverage during the day on Friday, June 13th. WHO-TV left briefly to allow NBC to announce Tim Russert's death. After the flood threat of Des Moines proved not as bad as it once thought, the stations returned to the regular program that night.
KCRG and The Gazette, are both owned by Gazette Communications and are located adjacent to each other in downtown Cedar Rapids, continuing to operate from their respective editorial spaces despite flooding and power loss nearby. The Gazette's editor at the time, Steve Buttry, officially started his job just two days before the water rose above the flood stage in Cedar Rapids.
At about 9:30 am on Monday, June 16, KWWL went to the air due to a small electric fire in the studio. An electric motor in the ventilation system burns and sends smoke to the entire building. No injuries and almost no damage. They continued broadcasting around 1:00 am on Tuesday, June 17th.
Public health
Right after midnight, center time, June 13, Mercy Health Center in Cedar Rapids begins to evacuate patients from the facility. It is understood that they can not function further in an emergency. The evacuation finished around 8:20 am.
Health Hazards: Physical and Mental
The main public health hazard is contaminated water, which mixes with the discharge of overwhelmed sanitary disposal systems, oil products and other toxic materials, including asbestos. At low tide, large amounts of potentially infectious debris add to the problem; this includes the garbage that is not collected and the dead animals. This problem is exacerbated by the beginning of hot and humid summer weather. Just making the affected area sanitize back into a big job. The problem of fungi spreading in flooded buildings is one of the main concerns.
Contact with contaminated water and flood-affected wet items can cause a rash, and if it comes in contact with skin fragments, various infections. Public officials warned about the potential for increased waterborne diseases such as dysentery and an increase in mosquito populations, which could carry West Nile virus.
A free tetanus withdrawal is being offered in many areas, including Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.
In addition to physical illness, residents are warned about potential mental health problems. Parents are told to expect developmental regressions on children who survived the flood, especially those who lost their homes. Even in adults, stress to implement services and manage daily activities in disaster conditions is expected to exacerbate anxiety, depression, or pre-existing family conflicts. Physical and emotional stress to clean up flooded homes is only part of the problem, as parents need to manage all this while still taking care of the children who are at home on summer vacations. All this is exacerbated by summer heat & amp; humidity, mosquitoes and insect bites, and the number of people facing the same situation. Long-term consequences are also possible. "Once a surprise and anxiety pass, losing items such as wedding photos or precious family heirlooms can cause depression and even post-traumatic stress disorder," an official said.
Some rural areas suffer from a lack of access to much needed public and social services, and agents are overwhelmed by the increase of people in need of help. Also, since large areas of the Midwest are affected by these events, some rivers and tributaries take a very long time to recede, with some areas remaining flooded for up to four weeks. The increased amount of water and flood-affected soil caused an increase in the population of central biting insects (sandflies), mushroom insects, flies, and mosquitoes in the summer, with the above-mentioned public health concerns.
Recovery
Comparison has been made to Grand Forks, North Dakota, 1997 Red River Flood, Hurricane Katrina, and Great Flood of 1993 and the lesson to be learned is that a full recovery will take at least ten years, and that political and private companies must set aside the one- party-man-ship and cooperate in making some decisions that will be obviously unpopular.
To assist in the recovery effort, the website has been site-up. Save Iowa was established to help flood victims because there is an extraordinary donation requirement throughout Iowa. Save Iowa makes it easier for people across the country to contribute to the cause of their flood disaster.
FEMA snippet & amp; formaldehyde
A few months after the June flood, Iowa flood victims reported a severe cough, headache, and conditions like Asthma, Bronchitis, and other health problems worsened since moving to the trailer. KGAN-TVs out of Cedar Rapids tested 20 trailers in the Cedar Rapids area under contract with nationally certified chemical testing companies, with the test kits finding insecure levels of Formaldehyde in six of them, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Lung Association, more stringent than FEMA or Iowa standards.
After KGAN broadcast their results, the intervention of the Iowa Governor Chet Culver, and the increasing concerns of residents, FEMA held a meeting in Cedar Rapids with residents, although refused to intervene with the report. FEMA will now retest the trailer on request, starting early November.
See also
- June 2008 Midwest Flood
References
External links
- The former Iowan blog returned to its stagnant homeland
- Iowa Flood News Blog Aggregator
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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