Subscribe in a readerBookmark This
They Call it the Flood of 2008
Chris Missal, June 11, 2008
Months ago, over the winter season we received record breaking snowfalls (Image dated 2/26/2008, we got more than
that. It snowed as late as April). It seemed that winter began immediately after the
second Iowa football game. It started early and ended late. Schools went longer into the summer than they had in years. More
recently, we've gotten a lot of rain. I mean a lot! Over the past several weeks, it has been raining every other
day practically. The rivers haven't really had a chance to get rid of all the water they gained from the snowfall. They've
remained high all spring. Each day driving to work I get to marvel at the height of the Wapsipinicon River just outside of
Anamosa. There is a hill used in a biannual motorcycle Hill Climb and a quarry near the river. You know it's high when the
water level is at the base of the hill. You know it's really high when it is pouring into, or even with the water level in
quarry.
Tonight's forecast calls for more rain and severe weather. In fact, we're supposed to receive 4 more inches in the
next few days. None of this is good. The Cedar River is at levels never before seen. The downtown area is flooding fast and parts of
Iowa City has been underwater for a couple days now. Smart weather people say that the river isn't expected to crest until Friday
morning (June 13th) and some said not until sometime Sunday. Let's hope that Friday the 13th isn't really that scary. We've had
plenty of tornadoes in the midwest (and elsewhere) already this year. Four people were just killed earlier this evening when a
tornado in Western Iowa hit a boy scout camp. Nobody really needs any more, but I guess there is no sense in asking politely,
begging profously, or cursing vehemently. It's weather and nobody can do anything about it.
Tonight we've gotten and are supposed to receive some more tornadic activity in Iowa. Should I be content to live on the second floor
to avoid the water or worried to live on the second floor and have nowhere to hide from a tornado? Hmm, anyway, I'll update this page
when the whole ordeal is said and done. For now, I'm headed to bed.
Here are some more images for your browsing pleasure. The first is a picture near Ellis Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The second is a
chart showing the height of the Iowa River above flood stage over the past week.
Filed Under: General