Waterloooo - Waterlooo
I have been following the floods in Iowa with a great amount of interest. It's one thing to hear about a disaster on the news, and try to imagine the carnage and devastation caused by the disaster - I actually think it surpasses the limits of human empathy. If I hear about a person dying, say in the news or from a friend, I can feel for that situation. I know, and I would assume that most people at this point in their life know as well, someone close to them that has died, and we can relate, remember, and understand their situation.
I understand situations like New Orleans and Iowa in that I know what is happening to them, but I have never had to deal with something so total in my life before, and I have a difficult time actually comprehending what it is like to have so much of your life taken away from you. I know it is a bad thing but my sympathy for someone's situation can never really reach the level of "I've been there too."
I have been rather aggressive with contacting people in Iowa, and it came as a shock to me when I realized how many people I know in that part of the country. A very large swath of some of the most important people in my life lives in that region.
Everyone in the Des Moines part of the state (that I know) are fine. They were far enough away from the river that the floods were merely an inconvenience.
Somehow, everyone I know in Iowa City lives on a hill, or is far enough away from the river that they weren't affected. Still they were pretty much trapped in their houses as downtown and a large number of the UI buildings were flooded. All roads out of town were flooded too, and I believe the neighboring town of Coralville was evacuated.
Cedar Rapids continues to be the biggest tragedy of this whole incident. Eight to nine feet of standing water in some places, and it could even be more then that. I've heard some people tell that second floor office buildings were flooded, and some say that they could get off their boat and step on their roof. Nearly all my ex-Rockwell coworkers have flooding in their basement, and many businesses in the downtown Cedar Rapids area will close permanently.
If there is any silver lining it is two thing: (1) The loss of life from these floods was so minimal that it was almost non-existent. (2) Time and again Midwestern people show their heart, dedication, work ethic, and absolute love for each other. Nothing gets me misty eyed like hearing about how communities pull together to help those in need, and fight the encroaching elements of nature. People will go out on a limb to help absolute strangers (actually more like ten people per stranger). And in one of the best stories I have ever heard, the community willingness to fight the flood was so hard, that they actually built walls in buildings close to the river and beat the floods! They actually built walls fast enough to keep the water at bay, and these are buildings that are not more then a block from the river. Amazing.
As I said, I've been keeping in contact with many of my friends in Iowa, especially Cedar Rapids. Nothing has helped me get a a better perspective on what it is like being on the ground there like their letters, except maybe the pictures posted by the University of Iowa. The next couple posts in this journal will be those letters sent to me by friends, so that perspective can be shared.
Here are some interesting links regarding the flood:
U of I Flickr Flood Photo's
U of I Flood Blog
...and if you feel so inclined to help:
Help Cedar Rapids
Help the University of Iowa
I understand situations like New Orleans and Iowa in that I know what is happening to them, but I have never had to deal with something so total in my life before, and I have a difficult time actually comprehending what it is like to have so much of your life taken away from you. I know it is a bad thing but my sympathy for someone's situation can never really reach the level of "I've been there too."
I have been rather aggressive with contacting people in Iowa, and it came as a shock to me when I realized how many people I know in that part of the country. A very large swath of some of the most important people in my life lives in that region.
Everyone in the Des Moines part of the state (that I know) are fine. They were far enough away from the river that the floods were merely an inconvenience.
Somehow, everyone I know in Iowa City lives on a hill, or is far enough away from the river that they weren't affected. Still they were pretty much trapped in their houses as downtown and a large number of the UI buildings were flooded. All roads out of town were flooded too, and I believe the neighboring town of Coralville was evacuated.
Cedar Rapids continues to be the biggest tragedy of this whole incident. Eight to nine feet of standing water in some places, and it could even be more then that. I've heard some people tell that second floor office buildings were flooded, and some say that they could get off their boat and step on their roof. Nearly all my ex-Rockwell coworkers have flooding in their basement, and many businesses in the downtown Cedar Rapids area will close permanently.
If there is any silver lining it is two thing: (1) The loss of life from these floods was so minimal that it was almost non-existent. (2) Time and again Midwestern people show their heart, dedication, work ethic, and absolute love for each other. Nothing gets me misty eyed like hearing about how communities pull together to help those in need, and fight the encroaching elements of nature. People will go out on a limb to help absolute strangers (actually more like ten people per stranger). And in one of the best stories I have ever heard, the community willingness to fight the flood was so hard, that they actually built walls in buildings close to the river and beat the floods! They actually built walls fast enough to keep the water at bay, and these are buildings that are not more then a block from the river. Amazing.
As I said, I've been keeping in contact with many of my friends in Iowa, especially Cedar Rapids. Nothing has helped me get a a better perspective on what it is like being on the ground there like their letters, except maybe the pictures posted by the University of Iowa. The next couple posts in this journal will be those letters sent to me by friends, so that perspective can be shared.
Here are some interesting links regarding the flood:
U of I Flickr Flood Photo's
U of I Flood Blog
...and if you feel so inclined to help:
Help Cedar Rapids
Help the University of Iowa