[movlabs]

Originally posted by MrFun

Here, where I live (Quad Cities on Illinois side) we got TONS of rain last night and the wind was unbelievable -- about 70 mph wind last night. There was a tornado watch as well - I can't say for certain if it turned into a warning at any point as I was in bed by 11:00 PM. Here, we got about four inches of rain. Below is the article about Cedar Rapids. Was this the storm that just went through here ~5 hours ago. That thing was nasty.

[vRmy0Fzg]

there is a storm going through here and i think the power is about to go out! it's so powerul! i'm going to go outside and watch.

[attractiveweb]

Originally posted by Will


I could hardly see out the window and I could hardly have conversation over the thunder.
Always pleased to provide my service.

[reervieltnope]

Well, with 60+ counties declared disaster areas in Iowa, there have been a few deaths (three or four, I believe). But it seems like most people are taking evacuations orders/voluntary evacuation seriously, in their local areas.

Also, part of I-80 has been underwater. This has created havoc with trucking of goods and supplies for countless businesses in eastern half of Iowa. And of course, this affects passengers in their own vehicles, who now have to take much longer, round-about routes to their destination. All this until I-80 reemerges from the water, and then after it's cleaned up, and declared safe to use again.

[b3JOkwXL]

Cedar Rapids, newly twinned with New Orleans...

[HoqCBYMl]

We're getting it in Janesville too.

The downtown river wall will probably be compromised today sometime. The road I take to my kids daycare is under by almost a foot.

Worst flooding of the Rock River ever recorded (dating back to 1911) breaking the old record of 13.05 feet back in 1916 with an expected crest of 14.5 on Wednesday, 5.5 feet (about a meter and a half) above flood stage.

JANESVILLE — Rock County officials distributed more than 120,000 sandbags Saturday as residents prepare for the Rock River to crest. The National Weather Service projects the river will crest on Wednesday at 14.5 feet in Afton. That is 5.5 feet above flood stage.

Two county public works crews left at 3 a.m. Saturday for La Crescent, Minn., to pick up 60,000 empty sandbags from the Army Corps of Engineers, County Administrator Phil Boutwell said.

With flooding shutting down portions of the Interstate system in the state, the crews had to journey via the back roads of western Wisconsin to retrieve the supplies that are in great demand throughout the Midwest, Boutwell said.

“We had to go outside the normal channels,” he said.

Lab Safety Supply in Janesville also donated 8,700 sandbags in the last two days, he said.

In Jefferson County, the National Guard arrived to help manage the county’s response to widespread flooding. Flooding there has affected up to 1,000 homes across the county.

Janesville

About 200 Alliant Energy customers in the Janesville area are without electric or gas service indefinitely because of the flooding, Alliant spokesman Scott Reigstad said. Many of the customers are downtown along the river, while others are along River Road and near Lake Koshkonong.

The city and Alliant also were working Saturday night to shut off service on Main Street between Centerway and Court Street, Reigstad said.

City Manager Steve Sheiffer declared a flood emergency, and the city council will meet in a special meeting at 2 p.m. today to approve the declaration.

The proclamation also begins the process of having the area declared a disaster area by Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and President George Bush. The disaster declaration makes governmental entities and property owners eligible for benefits.

One area of concern is the Mole & Sadler’s subdivision, where more than 40 residents have been evacuated. City officials will hold a neighborhood meeting for the subdivision residents at 9:30 a.m. today at the corner of Elgin Avenue and Charles Street to discuss their options.

The list of road closures across the county continues to grow. The roundup includes on and off ramps at Memorial and Parker drives in Janesville. Officials anticipate closing Parker Drive as the water rises.

Rock County sheriff’s deputies “strongly recommended” residents in low-lying areas along the river evacuate on Saturday.

Four people had checked into the shelter at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 302 N. Parker Drive, Janesville. Two to five other displaced handicapped residents were expected to be put in hotels, said Rosie Gaulke of the South Central Wisconsin Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Beloit Township

An Emergency Operations Center has been set up at the Town of Beloit Fire Department, 2445 S. Afton Road, Beloit, until Monday, June 23.

Citizens and volunteers can call the center at (608) 364-2996.

High water and hazardous conditions have forced officials to close access roads leading to the Burwood Park and Glenwood subdivision areas. The roads will be open to local residents only and the town of Beloit police will ticket all others.

Filled sandbags are available at the town hall, 2871 S. Afton Road, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sand and bags will be provided at Armstrong Eddy Park on Riverside Drive for residents to fill and use.

Town Chairman Greg Groves also declared a state of emergency until noon Monday, June 23, for the area between Afton Road and Riverside Drive.

[CurtisTH]

Originally posted by Badfuzzy
I take it FEMA's doing a great job saving the whiteys? I didn't realize you hate white people.


But on a serious note - there is something peculiar that happened in either Cedar Rapids or Des Moines (cannot remember off-hand now, which one). What happened was that the part of a levee that was meant to protect a lower class/working class area of the town broke through.

The possibility of class discrimination comes from the fact that several years ago, the state government had known that this part of the levee was at risk of breaking in a serious flood, but the funds to strengthen it never came through. Now, my opinion is uncertain at this point; I don't know if this neglect really was due to class discrimination or if the funds never came through for other reasons.

[WhonyGataxott]

This is a picture of part of downtown Davenport, Iowa taken not long before the river crested.

[joOEMcheapSOFTWARE]

O' man river,
Dat ol' man river,
He mus'know sumpin'
But don't say nuthin'
He jes' keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' along.

[Encannavalf]

That baseball diamond you see in the picture -- in 2001, the inside of it actually DID get flooded.

I think this time around, the interior is safe - of course, now that I have said that . . . .

[cypedembeda]

Originally posted by MrFun
This is a picture of part of downtown Davenport, Iowa taken not long before the river crested. Nice baseball pitch!