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Originally Posted by BrianG
Hello all, in case people are unaware of what is going on over here in the MidWest, Iowa is experiencing SEVERE flooding due to the constant torrential rainfall the last few weeks.
The East side of Iowa (Mississippi River) is particularly hit hard with 25,000+ people dislocated out of their homes. Numerous businesses are shut down, and there is talk of raw sewage going into the river. At least one hospital that I know of has shut down and the patients are being transported here to Des Moines.
The Des Moines area is in so-so shape with the DSM river WAYY over the limits partially flooding the downtown area. This is mainly because a lake a little to the north is overflowing the spillway.
Despite my ~5 mile proximity from the DSM river, yours truly isn't doing all that bad. There is a creek about 1/4 mile away from my house ("4-mile creek") that is causing water to come up through the basement floor, but it's only a trickle and is managable. Luckily, as fast as it rises, the water falls off as long as there is no fresh rain - it helps that there is no lake dumping into it.
It's going to be MONTHS before Iowa sees anything resembling order. Even if it doesn't rain the rest of the summer, it will be a long time before the water table drops enough.
I don't know how many of you are religious, but prayers would be welcome for the many people who have had their homes and lives flooded away. And this is in the metro areas that are somewhat prepared after the flood of '93. I shudder to think about how the smaller towns downstream are going to fare.
I could go on and on with details about this, but I think I've said enough. If you want to know more, check out the local news website: http://www.desmoinesregister.com |
Brian i hope you & everyone else stays safe.