The storms and heavy rains over the last few weeks have caused rivers and streams across Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan to swell to record levels. Eastern Iowa and Western Wisconsin and Illinois are particularly hard hit, as most rivers flow toward the Mississippi, which is also reaching flood stage. Cities such as Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport, and numerous small towns are experiencing floods in the streets. Many can now only get around in boats.

This is on the heels of several weeks of devastating tornadoes (one wiped out a whole town, and part of another). It gets more amazing every day, in a most unpleasant way. I have not experience more than basement flooding (thank goodness) but I watch neighboring towns struggle with rising rivers during yet another round of storms.

It is not a rapid catastrophe that makes big news, but a slow, steady destruction by a very powerful and moving force. It is really quite terrible. Farmers who have finally gotten their crops planted are now watching their new plantings drown under several feet of water. The University of Iowa is in danger of losing an art center, museum, and music building. Those who live along the rivers are watching the rivers submerge their homes. Since Iowa doesn't normally make it into the national weather map, I thought a short update was in order. What does make the news is nothing like the real thing. Over half of the counties in Iowa have now been declared disaster areas (updated to 55 out of 99). The breadbasket of the country isn't going to make much bread if this doesn't end soon.

Perhaps we can keep these people in mind for a short while as we go about our day. If you have other information about these areas, please let us know.

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Not just any sense, it's CavernSense

Hopeful Restoration: Guild of Healers

Cavern Communications Network

I live in the area (Davenport) and work at a local TV station. The area is completely saturated with water and flood levels are expected to peak this weekend with continued on-and-off rains. I"ve just heard that a couple interstates may be closing tomorrow as well as several highways already. It's really quite devastating. I'm praying my sump pump keeps going, but I''m not in a flood plane.

We got pretty hard hit also,sewer backed up in our basement,which we use as a living area,and where my pc is!
Lost alot of games and software,photos,furniture,carpeting,etc
Had to throw everything out,including all my Myst games and Uru! (sob)
Managed to get my pc to safety,others in our area got it much worse
Today we had more storms and some tornados
We are all safe,which is the most important thing!
Hopefully,it will be better soon
My thoughts and prayers to all who are going through this as well
And I was going to send you all corn!!!

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LIRA

Rik, Lira, I'm happy to know their are explorers in my area, although I wish I had learned this under different circumstances. Lira, I am sorry you have been flooded out -- Cedar Rapids is around 30% under water. Some streets are under 5-7 feet. Iowa City areas that are not in a flood plain are also going under water. Hospitals are being evacuated as well. And the rivers haven't even crested yet.

At the present 88 of 99 counties in Iowa have been declared disaster areas. Numerous bridges are closing, Interstate 80 E/W is closed between Iowa City and the Quad Cities. I looked at the state road conditions map, and most of the state east of Des Moines has closings and warnings.

_________________
Not just any sense, it's CavernSense

Hopeful Restoration: Guild of Healers

Cavern Communications Network

LIRA, I'm sorry for your loss. You're in my thoughts and prayers. I miss you, gal. Take care.

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"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly." -- Richard Bach, Illusions

My thoughts and prayers are going out to those affected by this.

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Moula:
DMom2K KI 74181
GameBoomer KI 83122

SL:
DMom2K Darwin

Citizen of the Metaverse

Have just been listening to the flood news on NPR & it just seems to get worse & worse. ghaelen, I'm glad to find this thread--have been thinking about you these last few days, & it's good to know you're OK. At least I hope you're still OK! LIRA, very sorry about the damage to your house, but glad you & your family are safe--again, hoping that is still the case! The devastation is hard to grasp. Keeping everyone in the Midwest in my thoughts.

I spent the last couple of days helping sandbag and collect information in and around Iowa City. Where I live is between the Iowa and Cedar Rivers and we can't get east or west. Only to Iowa City. I put together a little video so you can see some of the flooding, if you are interested. Thanks everyone, on behalf of people I know who are flooded out. The Cedar River in Cedar Rapids is falling, but the Iowa River has just crested and will stay this high for some weeks.

If you are of a mind to pray, pray that it really does stop raining, lol.

This is better quality as a download. Only 24MB, no audio. Since the national news is showing pics of Cedar Rapids and the University area in Iowa City, I didn't worry about trying to get there. I put this together mostly for my family who has been in the area to visit and are worried about us. Not even a 10th of the flooded area, but they used to know these places well.
A still-pic video of the flooding

_________________
Not just any sense, it's CavernSense

Hopeful Restoration: Guild of Healers

Cavern Communications Network

Just talked with a sister-in-law Saturday - she comes from Iowa and has family still living in Des Moines. She talked with them on Friday & at least her sister (& her family) are flooded out. Power is gone. You name it, they have it. Including no phone service, cell or landline.

Our prayers are with them, & all the others who were flooded, including those who bought homes that the realtors assured them were not in a flood plain, so therefore they bought no flood insurance.

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the journey begins again . . .

Those are pretty amazing pictures, ghaelen--kind of hard to take in how much water it is, especially when it looks so deceptively calm. I was thinking, oh look! blue skies at least . . . & then the next set of clouds rolled in.

Iowa City got the better part of a page in our local paper today--& made the front page of the New York Times, too, I noticed. A good bit of the article was about the heroic efforts of teachers & students, sandbagging various buildings at the university. I know you were one of those! It mentioned some incredible number of sandbags put in place on Saturday alone--100,000 (?!) I think.

ces, I'm sorry to hear about your sister-in-law's family, too. May the waters recede quickly . . . in Iowa City, Des Moines, & all across the Midwest.