Iowa is UNDER WATER

Erin Kotecki Vest — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:50:40 -0500

Politics are on hold in Iowa as the state deals with flooding of historic proportion. Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party have postponed their state conventions as 100 blocks of downtown Cedar Rapids and parts of Des Moines are under water.

NBC reports, "Rescuers had to use boats to reach many stranded residents in the city of 120,000, and people could be seen dragging suitcases up closed highway exit ramps to escape the water. It wasn't clear just how high the river had risen because a flood gauge was swept away by the swirling water."

Lynda Waddington at the Iowa Independent writes, "...officials estimated that the river would crest early Friday morning at a level of 24.5 feet. That guess was washed away today when the river surged to over 26 feet. Officials at the National Weather Service now believe the river will crest in the morning at a level of 32 feet -- a level that has never been seen.

Previous flood records for the river in Cedar Rapids were set in 1929 and 1851 at 20 feet. The river is not expected to recede to that level until next Wednesday or Thursday. The non-flood level is 12 feet."

Video posted on YouTube shows the extent of the rising water-

Saying the "worst may not be behind us," Senator Tom Harkin said an emergency federal appropriation may be in order to assist the state with the effects of storms and flooding.

Essential Estrogen writes, "Well, there's obviously a lot of work ahead. Maybe when the waters recede, there will be new opportunities that wouldn't have seemed feasible a year or even a month ago. There's also no doubt that the Cedar River has played a big role in encouraging the collaboration between county and city governments. When you think about it, the river probably went above and beyond what was required, pulling in state and national interests as well.

'Year of the River' or not, I'm personally going to find it a bit difficult to head into downtown next month, sit calmly on the banks of the Cedar and pay homage to its beauty and possibilities. Call me paranoid, but after seeing the fury the river has unleashed, I'm more than a little wary of pumping up its ego once again."

The Flege Farm says, "Our city is in trouble. The Governor has been here and the red cross and national guard are doing all they can do. Please pray for our friends here in Cedar Rapids with the loss of their houses and businesses. The devastation is beyond belief......."

As if the flooding were not bad enough, a tornado in the western part of Iowa killed four Boy Scouts and injured dozens.

"This has been a remarkable onslaught of weather — everything from flooding, unbelievable rain and of course tornadoes — all descending at once," Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff told reporters near the scout camp.

Chertoff said government relief would be forthcoming but the department also needed to keep some resources in reserve with the onset of hurricane season.

Erin Kotecki Vest also blogs at Queen of Spain Blog

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Iowa is UNDER WATER