1,000 city blocks are under water in Cedar Rapids fish were seen in the basement of Mercy Hospital.

[Skidmore]

They have a day and a half supply of water left there and are begging people to be extremely conservative with the use of water. Businesses and industries are closing to help conserve water. One death reported, cause as yet unknown. One injury--a sprain suffered during evaucation. Authorities warning to be on the lookout hazardous materials containers that may have washed out in flood waters.

Iowa City is preparing for a huge wave to descend on it in the next few days. Only one bridge in Iowa City open right now--Burlington Street. People are offering their homes as shelter to displaced people. The commute between IC & CR is now a 281 mile detour via Des Moines.

At least it is not raining now.

[spanone]

1. shhh don't tell junior, he's partying in yurp

[SpiralHawk]

13. "Party on, Dudes." - Commander AWOL & McSame

[rurallib]

17. Bill Clinton was here in the middle of the '93 mess

for reassurance and to see for himself. Obama was scheduled to come out but deferred so he would not detract from the effort. Good choice.

[zanne]

2. Holy crap.

I wonder how long it will take to repair that city! I feel so badly for the people who had to leave their homes. When they return, they'll be looking at thousands of dollars in flood damage.

[rurallib]

16. And Des Moines, Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Mason City and of course

Iowa City and the University of Iowa. Big, big recovery to do.
In the back of my mind, I wonder how the repugs will try to do a NOLA on us?

[mr_hat]

3. I'm 13 blocks above the "saucer" on the SE side

and it's a "what is so rare as a day in June" day here. Bizarre.

I can't wait to roll up my sleeves and help with the recovery. God knows the sandbagging I did proved absolutely worthless. Hope our water holds out, though.

[Sal Minella]

4. Your sandbagging represents the best humans have to offer each other.

Thank you for your efforts.

[annabanana]

5. Where is the coverage?

Where are the airlifts of fresh water?

[Skidmore]

6. I wish I knew. I'm really frustrated with this.

I don't think the rest of this nation really knows what is happening here. With wall-to-wall Russert coverage and the election, the lives of ordinary people don't even make a blip on the radar. I was angry during NOLA, as I watched them let a city die. Now I feel as though we are watching a state being drowned. We may not have large numbers of fatalities and casualties, but we will have economic devastation in spades.

[JNelson6563]

7. Didn't you hear? Tim Russert died!

There isn't time to save American cities from disaster! We've got a dead celebrity to deal with here!

Julie

[rurallib]

18. Iowa is just so yesterday's news.

[DesertRat]

12. I've seen it on CNN and all over my local news

It could might be on Fox News too, but I never watch that. I hope that the gov. provides fresh water to the people asap.

[DesertRat]

8. My heart goes out to the people there

The pictures I've seen are shocking.

[MuseRider]

9. This is just horrible.

When we flooded last year we had propane tanks floating all over the place and this is just a small area, not many people or houses it must be awful all the things that are loose. This is a total disaster. I don't watch the news but I gather the flood has been way overshadowed by Russert. I am so sorry. Is there a lot of help or is this another instance of you're on your own?

Please stay safe and dry and keep us up to date. I am so sorry you are going through this.

[Skidmore]

10. I think that people here are doing the best the can in very trying

circumstances. I don't get a sense of what is happening when it gets to the point where you can discuss help coming in from outside. Our communities are like little islands now because so many bridges and roads are closed. That is where the national coverage would help.

Here in Iowa, 83 of 99 counties have been declared disaster areas. Our state is drowning.

[ColbertWatcher]

11. Damn it.

Another American city under water.

I'm pissed.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. Iowa, beware the $cientologists!

They always seem to pop in whenever disaster strikes and try to shove their cult down everyone's throats.

They hand out their pamphlets with water or "massages".

Be careful Iowa, you can't trust the cult.

Support the Red Cross or local charity you know and trust!

[leftchick]

15. Photos from Yahoo.....

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Midwest-Storms/ss/events/us/050208midweststorms

:(




An aerial photograph shows the flooded town of Palo, Iowa, June 13, 2008. An oil or fuel slick is visible spreading from the town over the flooded area located next to the Cedar River. Overflowing rivers in Iowa forced evacuations and disrupted the region's economy on Friday with fears of worse to come from fragile levees and more rain. Thousands were forced to leave their homes in the worst Midwest flooding in 15 years.
(Ron Mayland/Reuters)




An aerial photo shows a flooded area of downtown looking North over Cedar Rapids, Iowa June 13, 2008. Interstate I-380 can be seen at top while Mays Island, with Cedar Rapids City Hall, is seen on the left with its bridges under water. Floodwaters have inundated about 100 city blocks of Cedar Rapids, Iowa's second-largest city with 200,000 residents.
(Ron Mayland/Reuters)





House boats from the Ellis Marina on the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids lie jammed and destroyed against the Quaker Oats railroad bridge after breaking free from their moorings in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa June 13, 2008. Overflowing rivers in Iowa forced evacuations and disrupted the region's economy on Friday with fears of worse to come from fragile levees and more rain. Thousands were forced to leave their homes in the worst Midwest flooding in 15 years.
(Ron Mayland/Reuters)