Flood of 2008

It's been a little over one month since the flooding hit Cedar Rapids, and the surrounding areas. I didn't really start paying attention to the news warning of the flooding until I got to work on June 12th. I can look out of my work place (Verizon Business), and see the river. I had heard on the 5 AM news that many of the downtown businesses were closed due to the flooding. I had called to see if Verizon was one of them, and we were not. I got to work around 6:15. When I got off at my exit and turned to go down town to Verizon I was very surprised to see complete darkness when I looked at the downtown area. The Verizon building and those up from the downtown area had power or were running on generator power.

When I got up to 9th floor where I work, I looked out the windows that face West, but I wasn't able to see anything since it was still dark and there was no lighting. When it did start getting light outside, I could see the river slowly creeping up 1st Ave, 2nd Ave, and looking out to the South I could see the river overtaking many of those streets also.

Those of us who came into the office began monitoring the KCRG Website, and we were constantly looking out the windows to see how far the river had come up since the last time we looked out. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 12th Ave bridges were closed around 8 or 9 am. Around 10 am we found out that the levy had broken down by Check Town. We were beginning to wonder if we should leave work and go home.

Mike called me (he was standing on top of his companies downtown office building- I looked out the window and I could see him waving to me), and asked if I was going home. I told him that I was just waiting for the word. He had heard that they were going to be closing the Interstate. Management had also been hearing that the Interstate was going to close. Finally around 1:30 pm we were told to go home.

Mike and I had decided to meet and go and take some photos before we left town. Here is my Kodak link if you would like to look at the photos that we took of the flooding. There are also photos of our the little creek behind our house, and some other areas around Cedar Rapids that got flooded.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?UV=95030164262_840843107605&mode=fromsite&collid=927847692105.490827965605.1216574198200&conn_speed=1
We were deeply saddened to find out that Mike's Grandma Bea whose house had been in Time Check had water up to her second floor landing. And my nephew Mike who had his shop in Czech Village was also flooded. Neither Mike's Grandma nor Mike had flood insurance.

We tried to assist with the clean up for both Grandma Bea and Mike. It is a very depressing ordeal to have to go through. We hope that the future holds something very wonderful for both Grandma Bea and Mike.