Iowa Flooding Leaves 36,000 Homeless

Below is a telling excerpt from AP on the chaos caused by the Iowa flooding. Keep reading more about the floods here.

As Iowa City hoped to elude the worst damage, the state had a multi-front battle on its hands. State officials warned of problems ahead for a string of towns in southeast Iowa along the Mississippi River, led by Burlington, a key railroad hub.

"It's likely that we will see major and serious flooding on every part of the southeastern border of our state from New Boston and down," Culver said. "We are taking precautionary steps, we are evacuating where necessary, but that is going to be the next round here."

Early Monday, more than 36,000 residents in 26 communities had been evacuated from their homes, said Kevin Baskins of the state Emergency Operations Center. Most of those _ 25,000 _ were in Cedar Rapids, and another 5,000 in Iowa City, he said.

Comments

[CrapWhisperer]

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"Iowa Flooding Leaves 36,000 Homeless"

It's moments like these that I recommend outside the pack resolutions.

I recommend this because I am The Crap Whisperer!
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[spinstahbabe]

I live in Cedar Rapids and so far, I think the response from the city, county, state and yes even federal agencies has been excellent. It has been absolutely devastating to have this happen to my fair city---I can't stop crying as I write this--- but in the end I think this is going to be our finest hour. We are going to be a model for decades to come for emergency preparedness, response, recovery and rebuilding. On Iowa!!!

[naschkatze]

Meanwhile Mr. Bush is dining on white asparagus in Germany and strolling through the Vatican gardens with the Pope. Some will criticize Obama for doing a photo-op sandbagging in Iowa, but at least he is showing what a president should do when so many of his countrymen are suffering. Oh well, Bush probably would have only done a flyover anyway.

[kay]

It was in Illinois, so sort of a twofer for Obama.

[maxwellinformed]

Where's FEMA?

[ebanks84]

Still trying to figure out how to get back to New Orleans, I suspect:)

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Maybe George W. can do a fly over and look concerned. George W. Bush a day late and dime short.

[kay]

He's busy securing his legacy. He doesn't want to be remembered as a "warmonger".

He'd rather be remembered as "an incompetent". Intent is everything.

[ebanks84]

Iowans didn't vote for his candidate so do you think he cares?

[only1Demvoter]

BPCentris : Careful... Or he'll tell somebody " heckuva job ".


-ralph

[midtod2008]

I agree wholeheartedly with the poster who noted that MSNBC in particular spent three days eulogizing Tim Russert instead of covering the Iowa floods. The narcissistic media always think that anything that happens to THEM is far more important than what happens to the rest of us. CNN, CBS, even Imus this morning have been doing their Russert tributes. I'm sick of Mike Barnacle on all the shows, telling the same stupid anecdotes ad nauseum about his buddy "Timmy." It's sad Mr. Russert passed away, but he was merely a chronicler of the day's news. He wasn't some great leader. It's fine to do a tribute to him but that should have consisted of maybe a one hour special. In Cedar Rapids alone, there has been more than $736 million in damage, and 25,000+ people homeless. Over 400 city blocks underwater. The fact that there isn't a rampant crime wave or deaths like in Katrina I suppose means it's not violent enough to appeal to TV programmers. 10% of the corn crop has been lost and 10% of the soybeans. Feed for cattle, hogs and chickens will cost more, and these costs will be reflected in higher food prices. But you know what's more important? TIM RUSSERT. We'll have wall-to-wall coverage of his funeral and then the Russert family is planning a big Kennedy Center salute. I think Tim himself would be aghast at the media's confused priorities.

[spinstahbabe]

Thank you for your support. I'm a Cedar Rapidian and get this---of the 25000 evacuees, less than 500 have had to go to shelters. We are lucky here in the heartland to have big support systems and most can find loved ones to take them in. And I have been SO PROUD that there has been no looting or anything like that. One correction---we had 1300 city blocks underwater. THIRTEEN HUNDRED. Unbelievable. ANd not standing water. Water gushing through our downtown.

[UnknownSoldier]

There is a difference between looting and looking for survival goods, like food water and shelter. There is another thing to have the Police turn people away at gun point when they were looking for help. Just a quick thought if the police were concerned about having their town looted, why didn't they just escort the evacuees to safety, instead they told them if the set foot off that bridge they would shoot them. INHUMANE.

[Janel]

It HAS been almost impossible to get a handle on what is going on in Iowa.

I was heartsick to learn that Tim Russert passed away, and I understand the grief that his colleagues are feeling. However, even last night (Sunday), there were only brief segments about the flooding in Iowa and MSNBC continued to replay tributes to this fine man.

Considering his legacy and concern for all people, I can't help but believe Russert would say, "Enough, already! Report the news, guys. Report the news!!

[dogman44]

Great point. I was hoping somebody would bring this up. Iowa produces food. Part of our
nation's pantry. God bless the folks in Iowa and the rest of the inundated midwest. We
will all be effected by these events. It's time we start to learn that we are all in this together.

[editor]

Don't worry; george w has given up golf and is prayin' for y'all.....

[kay]

I rely on President Bush for political tone-deafness and he never lets me down.

The pictures of the President and the Queen against the pictures of Iowa towns drowning are just another example of his impeccable timing.

He attended a birthday party while New orleans drowned. Incredible.

I'm to the point where I think he's deliberately just giving Americans the finger. He's mad at us, because we don't like him.

[Anciano]

As W's handler Grover Norquist said, "we need to starve the beast of big government to the point where we can drown it in the bathtub". Now I take that to mean that all those Iowans can rely on their local church to bail them out. I hope that they are not going to attempt to rely on some socialistic governmental intervention in their behalf. Their national guard units are fighting for freedom in Iraq, their tax dollars are doing the same. Those Iowans are on their ownership society baby!

[CitizenKane16]

That was no ordinary birthday party, that was Senator John McCain's birthday party...make sure you keep that straight.

[BlackJAC]

While simultaneously blaming the floods on the "Democrat Party" failing to make the tax cuts permanent.

[YankeeCanuck]

The floods here in Iowa do not compare to Hurricane Katrina. There were tornadoes last week , but not a storm of Katrina magnitude hitting a great swathe of dense population. There was warning-- we were given mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders depending on the likelihood of flooding in our areas. Governor Culver and his Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge took serious action early on--they learned from Katrina.
People had enough warning to evacuate in orderly fashion, and they did not have to do it during a hurricane. Shelters were set up.

During Katrina some people were essentially abandoned when the buses stopped running. Without the means to leave, they had an awful choice: go to the basement to shelter from the hurricane or go to the attic as the basement began to flood.
For those who call them "pansies", those who say the Iowans got out and the New Orleans folks didn't, consider that choice and show a little humanity.

[ebanks84]

Hang in there Iowans and thank God you were warned in time. My family prays for you all and hope you will get some relief very soon.

[Fightnmad]

Forgive my snarky retort to the person who called Katrina victims "pansies". If you look below, those comments have been scrubbed. I agree with you 100%.

The flood waters will impact ALL Americans, in one way or another, and as a nation this should be a call for us to unite. After Katrina, it's doubtful the federal government will open its wallet (once filled with taxpayer dollars) to help Iowans, since three southern states have yet recovered from that disaster...

[CitizenKane16]

Thank you for your post. I have seen so many here posting a lot of hate toward the people of New Orleans - I do not believe that those people actually know how the people of N.O. were let down, not just by the Federal government, but by their local government as well. Both of these events were tragedies in their own right - and really cannot be compared. It is so easy for a lot of us to judge but one should at least know what they're talking about before they decide to render that judgement.
God bless you and your family and good luck to you. For those of you interested in helping, here is a link to the Red Cross:
www.redcross.org

[kay]

I'm confused about how conservatives see the role of the federal government.

Let me see if I have this right: I'm supposed to send hundreds of billions overseas, on whatever zany scheme conservative ideologues dream up, but it's up to "the states" to fund and run a massive relief effort in the United States.

A massive natural disaster INSIDE the US isn't a security issue? How so?

If TERRORISTS attack Iowa, and cause this kind of havoc, conservatives will then consider it a federal issue?

What's the key here? It has to be "foreigners"? That's what makes it "federal"?

Is this wacky, or what?

[Rumplestiltskin]

I'm not sure about you analysis Kay, but as long as midnight basketball doesn't lose its federal funding I think we'll all be better off.

[kay]

Canard. Dodge.

36,000 homeless. That's just the immediate effect. Economic ruin follows, for small business and farmers.

Where's the President? Where's the bullhorn, and the speech? Iowans pay for a federal government. Why aren't they getting one?

[Paul]

This is why Conservatism is a bankrupt political philosophy.

Look at Europe - the economy there is run for the benefit of the people. The socialist governments there actually deliver a superior healthcare system, educational system, mass transit, 35 hour work-week and better quality of life.

Do you think what happened in Iowa and New Orleans would have happened in Holland? Or if it did, would the Dutch still be up to their eyeballs in wrecked houses after two years?

Socialism - the way forward.

[dogman44]

Paul said the unspeakable s word and nobody flamed him. Where have all the idiot,
windbag trolls gone? And BTW, I agree with Paul 100%. Doing my part to create a
fairer, better world. That just pisses the reichwingers off. I enjoy the fight. Remember....
While smashing the state keep a smile on your face. There's nothing they hate worse
then a happy socialist.

[IntelligentDesign]

`There is no figuring the neoconservative mindset, they are a convoluted unholy alliance of fundamental Christianity (read Pharisee) and Fascism - thankfully they are about to be purged from the national power grid.

[wm1066]

Fascist Pharisees with thier Evangelical Sanhedrin.

[azureblue]

$3800 per second. That is what the war on Iraq is costing, and all of it is borrowed money, mostly form Communist China.

Just think of what that money could do if it were used to fix Iowa and New Orleans. One month's worth of the cost of war, and both cities could be fixed.

[SouthpawSass]

Allow me and together we'll enter the world of those whacky conservatives:

Massive flooding relief inside the US - Well, it's that State's problem.
Keeping a comatose Florida woman alive - Priceless and the entire federal government must get involved.

Ending the Iraq war and saving hundreds of thousands of lives, after losing hundreds of thousands... It's really not a war, but a game, so it's winning that counts.
Ending stem cell research to save the life of a microscopic skin cell - not a game because there are no winners, especially Junior the skin cell. I named him junior because he looks like his dad, Derm.


Get it?

[armadillious2002]

i'd like to see Obama in there - shirt sleeves rolled up and helping out. It would mean a lot to me - just a thought.

[wm1066]

He was in a town down river in his own state filling sandbags.

[BlackLeatherRain]

Obama was in Illinois filling about a half a truckload of sandbags this weekend. He hasn't come to Iowa yet, to my knowledge, but he did visit the district he represents in IL, which is also flooding (although not nearly as badly as Cedar Rapids is).

[Old time Dem]

What is happening this time from the Federal Governement that makes its response different from the response to katrina?

Why wouldn't president Bush come home to be there for 36,000 iowans..........it seems extreme enough to warrant the president's attention.

Barack Obama is directing persons coming to his website to donate to the Red Cross............and he isn't even the President yet............

He seems to be able to step above politics at the times of national emergency...................

[Donnat]

Because he's going to be a good president, not like Bush.

[azureblue]

Bush is responsible for the flooding of New Orleans. he stole the levee repair money so his rich friends could get a tax break. Literally, it would be better to have no president than to have Bush.

[waynesmyer]

Fear Not Iowans! We are preparing to be ready to come to your aid and to assist in planning to do something about your problem! Just as soon as the Halliburton Asssistance Emergeny funding is passed through congress! Heck of a job,there, Baby George!
REMEMBER THE ALAMO! New Orleans? Where ever!

[kay]

Natural disaster is a national security issue, in the most basic terms, and conservatives suck at it.

They can't get bottled water to Biloxi, but they can rewrite the tax code in Iraq.

Can't you just tell that this whole ideology was born and bred in a think tank? It's great on paper.

[dogman44]

Don't you mean stink tank. You know, like a cesspool/septic tank kind of thingy. The
place cheney goes for rejuvenation when he disappears.

[socks1]

I haven't seen the National Guard on the TV, furiously filling sand bags to help protect homes and businesses. Has anyone else? Not much of anything on the TV to show what taxpayer money has been doing to help our fellows in distress. Or is showing that a state secret too???? Or where is our National Guard anyway???

And not even a word yet on the channels that I've seen about the possibility of these storms getting more oppressive because of climate changes going on.

Is there water being trucked to the areas where the supply of drinkable water is fast reaching its end?

Maybe all those people got in their cars (up to the windows in chest deep water) and drove to Aunt Sally's house to eat, drink and change clothes.

All I really see is the carnage that unmerciful amounts of water can do to neighborhoods and people's lives.

I wonder if the TV people had a bug in their ear saying don't get too involved in the telling of what is going on---------we don't want another Katrina tale. Not that we don't want people to suffer, we just don't want people to know how ineffectual their government is.........just wondering.

After all, 24/7 rememberance of the last gate keeper is better coverage of pressing 'news".

[bdl0715]

The National Guard is probably busy in Iraq fighting the Bush War.

[IowaCali]

Um...they're here in Cedar Rapids. They're all over the place, as a matter of fact.

[alaintex]

There are about 30,000 guard members in the middle east. Out of a guard membership of over 400,000.

[Rumplestiltskin]

"I haven't seen the National Guard on the TV, furiously filling sand bags to help protect homes and businesses". Well if you haven't seen it on TV it isn't happening? Why not google National Guard and Iowa floods, and look at the pretty pictures and read the stories.

[Gordon]

"Well if you haven't seen it on TV it isn't happening?"

lol

[donttasemebro]

Where do you think the National Guard is? A four letter country in the Middle East that starts with an "I".

[alaintex]

Actually, about 6% of the guard is in the middle east.

94% still at home.

[pad759]

There are no more Natiional Guards left, they're in Iraqi, that's where they are.

[Boobaloo]

We created ... what ... 4 million Iraqis homeless and suffering in refugee camps?

Between Katrina and Iowa, maybe Karma is real after all.

Oh yes and millions more being made homeless by the mortgage scams .... hmmm.

[Gordon]

Millions made homeless by mortgage scams?

do you have a source for this claim?

[BronxBorn]

69 pics of flood at this link.
http://www.andrealynnphoto.com/CRflood2008/