Tag: iowa

Iowa flood roundup

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Iowa Hydrologic Predictions update

The Advanced Hydrologic Predictions Service is terrific source for hydrologic information. Water levels in several Southeast Iowa communities are still higher than flood stage, but the floodwaters are receding.

Columbus Junction Iowa flood predictions hydrologic data
Hydrologic prediction data from the Iowa River gauge at Columbus Junction, Iowa. The river waters are predicted to be above flood stage until June 26th.

Hydrologic prediction data for Iowa City, Muscatine, Wapello, Ottumwa and Burlington after the jump.
Continue reading Iowa Hydrologic Predictions update

Cleanup begins at Mother Mosque of America


Cleanup up from flood damage at the Cedar Rapids Mother Mosque from Richard Pratt.

Volunteer crews lent a hand Saturday, June 21, 2008, to clean up flood damage at the Mother Mosque of America in northwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Numerous books and artifacts at the mosque were destroyed when the Cedar River left its banks earlier this month. The Cedar Rapids center is the oldest mosque in the United States.

Rents rising in Cedar Rapids

Some owners of rental properties in Cedar Rapids, Iowa are citing supply and demand as a rationale for raising rental prices. Disgusting. The soul of capitalism is revealed within the midst of a tragic situation. Cedar Rapids, Iowa flood survivors’ need for housing is turned into the “market’s demand”. Heinous.

A post-flood housing shortage in Cedar Rapids is driving up rent for everyone as displaced families look for places to live.

Some 3,900 homes in town were damaged by the flood. Many continue to be uninhabitable. In Iowa City and Coralville, about 800 homes were evacuated.

Josh Pierce and his wife and three children had been looking for a house to rent for about a month. They’ve outgrown their small apartment in northeast Cedar Rapids, where they’ve lived for about a year.

A home at 938 38th St. SE caught their eye and on June 9, the Monday before the flood, it was listed at $645 per month by Equity Realtors, a company owned by Bob Miell.

A week later, the same house was listed online at $845 per month. Pierce called Miell’s office.

“‘Supply and demand’ — that’s all they said,” Pierce said.

Miell did not respond to requests for an interview.

Continue reading Rents rising in Cedar Rapids

University of Iowa flood update

University of Iowa flooding in Iowa Memorial Union 2008

The Iowa Memorial Union on the campus of the University of Iowa is currently closed due to extensive flood damage. Floodwaters were 5 feet deep in the IMU. The university is pumping air into the building to help dry it out.

From: University of Iowa Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Lola Lopes –

Although the worst part of the flood seems to be abating we are still in crisis mode regarding utilities (steam, chilled water, and electricity). This means that even though we are resuming classes, research, and other university operations on Monday, this is not a return to normal. We have beaten back a major catastrophe and should be proud of ourselves, but it will be many, many months before we return to full functioning. Until then, we need to continue to work as a team and always keep the functioning of the entire enterprise in mind.

From a utility point of view, the east and west sides of the campus are no longer connected. This means that conditions are different on the east and west sides of the river.

via the UI Flood blog.

Continue reading University of Iowa flood update

Columbus Junction, IA flooding photos

Photographs of flooding in Columbus Junction, Iowa:
flooding in Economart grocery store in Columbus Junction Iowa
The store with the giant apple on it is the Economart – Columbus Junction’s grocery store. I worked at the Economart for 2 years while I was in high school. I was always asking people if they wanted “paper or plastic”. My former doctor’s office is located just a few stores down from the Economart.

Columbus Junction Iowa Photographs of Economart flooding in 2008

More photos of flooding (before and after) in Columbus Junction after the jump…

Continue reading Columbus Junction, IA flooding photos

Recovery efforts in Columbus Junction

Woohoo!!! “The boil order for Columbus Junction and Columbus City has been lifted. The water plant is functioning normally, and the water in your faucet is safe for all uses including human consumption. Restaurants and bars are free to serve prepared foods and beverages.”www.columbusjunctioniowa.org

[Columbus Junction] officials said medical and dental services are back in operation, albeit from a remote location since the town’s medical center fell victim to the Iowa River.

A chiropractor has rented a facility in nearby Columbus City and has started accepting patients. Members of the National Guard helped load and unload the chiropractor’s supplies.

The town dentist “got a chair” and office in Washington County about 20 miles from Columbus Junction.

“They have given him one chair three days a week and he’s (dentist) looking at a temporary facility about halfway in between,” said City Councilman Hal Prior.

More importantly, the medical clinic has been moved to occupy about four to five classrooms at the elementary school. Patient medical records are intact and were also moved to that location.

City officials also have allowed a lumber yard and an auto parts store to return to their buildings and restock their merchandise. It will take an additional two days for some businesses to get back in their properties.

“We, however, don’t anticipate that the other businesses getting in soon because they are submerged a little deeper,” Prior said.

via the Burlington Hawk Eye

Iowa as “God’s country”

The trope that “Iowa is God’s country” is furiously spreading around the interwebs in the wake of this month’s flooding in Iowa. This rhetoric seems inherently similar to the comparisons that are currently being made with Iowa-flooding and New Orleans-Katrina.

I was under the impression (from those folks who believe in God) that God sort of looked over the entire planet and didn’t pick favorites. (Also, exactly which God is Iowa the country of?)

Iowans are putting in a valiant effort to protect each other, their homes, and their private/public infrastructure. It is what anyone in that situation would do.

Saying that Iowa is God’s country is an insult to anyone who is not in Iowa and who believes in God. Let’s just say that God has the planet and end divisive tropes that disintegrate community.

Oldest U.S. Mosque is in Iowa

mother mosque of america cedar rapids iowa

The oldest mosque in the United States is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It only took several days of flooding and countless hours reading news reports for me to find this out. The mosque was dedicated in February of 1934. I love it when I learn something new about Iowa’s history. I lived in Iowa for 23 years and never knew about the Mother Mosque of America.

The oldest standing mosque in the United States is one of the many structures in Cedar Rapids damaged by flooding. Imam Taha Tawil is the executive director for the Mother Mosque of America. He was allowed access to the building Tuesday for the first time since it was flooded last week.

“There is a sadness, a hurt in my heart, because this mosque is like part of my family,” Tawil said. The mosque is one of many museums and historic buildings in Cedar Rapids hit by the floodwaters. “When I look around, I see the Czech Museum, the African American Museum, the Mother Mosque,” Tawil said, “and I said ‘flood doesn’t know color, flood doesn’t know race or religion or tradition. Flood is like death…it doesn’t distinguish.'”

via Radio Iowa

Flooding in Burlington, Iowa

My parents both grew up in Burlington, Iowa. It was the Stoller family weekend destination when I was growing up. My grandparents as well as several other relatives still live there. Fortunately, everyone is safe. The waters that flooded Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Columbus Junction, Oakville and several other towns in Iowa have made their way to the Mississippi River. The floodwaters are impacting communities in the southeastern tip of Iowa as well as in Missouri and Illinois.

As an overflowing Mississippi River was headed for a second record-setting crest, Burlington residents braced for the worst while hoping for floodwaters to make a quick exit.

The Mississippi set a new record with high-water mark of 25.73 on Tuesday. Wednesday, water levels decreased due to a levee break three miles south of Burlington in Illinois.

By later today, the river is expected to climb back up to 25.4 feet, according to the National Weather Service.

“The second crest is a result of the levee break where the water level in Burlington dropped,” said Dan Ferry, meteorologist at the National Weather Service. “All that water has filled in behind those levees, and now it’s making its way back up the Mississippi.”

via the Burlington Hawk Eye