Poor Iowa

Our planned train adventure may have hit a snag...

or two...

At least my folks' house hasn't been flooded again, and hopefully won't be. From my mom:

We are safely above projected flood levels--although if it doesn't stop raining I may go down hill and throw myself in. After a beautiful day today, it just started raining (and hailing) again. We are far enough away from the river and up high enough that we aren't really affected by it as long as the power doesn't go (as it did in Cedar Rapids and elsewhere) and the water plant doesn't give up and the creek in the ravine behind us doesn't overflow and run uphill.. Right now most towns around us are having serious water problems--but so far not here. We have stockpiled some water and are keeping our fingers crossed. Your dad (being a depression child like me) always keeps the freezer full so we may be eating thawed food for weeks if the power goes. Most everything on our side of the river (east side) is up hills, esp. the northeast side. What is on this side right on the river bank before the hills is the library, student union, English-communications buildings etc.--they are all likely to take on water. Volunteers have been sandbagging them, moving stuff to upper stories, etc. for the past couple weeks. On the west bank, the art buildings and museum are endangered, along with the theatre and music complexes and maybe Hancher Auditorium (the U's pride and joy).

Hail just started again!

Our only likely problem is getting from the east side to the west. We have everything we might really need near us here--even a hospital in an emergency. But we do normally go to the U hospital which is on the west side of the river. I have two appointments there next week (to get rid of splint on hand and for Remicade infusion). If they close the last bridge over the river as they are indicating they may, we won't be able to get there without a very convoluted hours-long drive--but I figure I've stretched out my infusions for an extra week before and I can always just remove the splint myself and not put it back on, so we'll get along.

Cedar Rapids is unbelievable--1000 or more city blocks flooded, including the entire downtown area; the city government (cityhall, courthouse, jail, etc) all were on an island in the river that was virtually submerged. Downtown major furniture store had windows smashed and couches, refrigerators, etc. floated down river. The art museun, theatre, and so on all damaged, perhaps beyond repair. The historic Czech Village which had just been refurbished since we came here was flooded almost to the tops of the buildings or even over the top--unimagineable. They are on severe water restrictions with about one day's supply left; have lost power in downtown area and elsewhere. And this was the case in most of the towns we went through on the way back from St. Paul--it took us about 9 hours to get back, partly because of road closings and partly because we were foolish enough to try to get something to eat in little towns along the way. They had already been flooded and had no water, so nothing was open--just sandbags and people mopping up everywhere.

Oh, and for those of you who have been dragged by your father or Jenny to the bar at Sutliffe to see the Sutliffe Bridge, the 108-year-old bridge was swept away. People lined the banks and wept.

So all in all we are very lucky.