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Jul. 20th, 2008
Jul. 1st, 2008
Jun. 26th, 2008
mood: 
sad
sadSome of these people lost their cars, so they either don't go to work anymore or use the extremely strained public transit system, adding sometimes TWO HOURS to their daily commute.
Gas prices skyrocketed for a little while, but they are stabilized now, albeit higher than before the flood. Food prices are probably going to be spiking up even further once the newest orders for restock start rolling out. A couple grocery stores lost their ENTIRE INVENTORY, perishable, nonperishable, and nonfood stuff. Mucking out and then restocking an entire grocery store?
God, this came at the worst time. If it had held off, I dunno, FOREVER? It would have been so much better.
People are starting to waver a little bit in their support of the city. Fewer volunteers, fewer charity drives...fewer, fewer, fewer. It hurts in my heart that people get over personal disaster so slowly, but community disaster is so easy to get over.
I volunteered at a veterinary clinic, assisting with cleaning up and feeding/calming strays that were picked up in the flood. I probably cried more in those couple of hours than I have in a long time. (But I did get a lot of doggie hugs. And kisses of multiple animal types, including a "love nibble" from a huge rabbit.) I don't know if those animals will make it back to their owners, or if they're even going to make it out of this alive. They're not staying at a no-kill. All those animals...
Jun. 18th, 2008
mood: 
amused
amusedDownload Firefox 3 before 11:16am Pacific (2:16pm Eastern)!
http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worl
Jun. 17th, 2008
I love you, Cedar Rapids. We might take months and months to get over this, and our economy may completely tank in the meantime, but your citizens and visitors are determined enough that this will eventually just be a note in history books and photos in old albums.
---------------
On Sunday, FEMA was handing out cases of bottled water. Our weekend manager and several others, including myself, took our cars to Sam's Club parking lot and got 22 cases of water for the residents. (HCC has up to 94 residents at a time, thus the large number of cases we needed.) I almost broke down crying when they were putting my six cases in my trunk. Everyone handing out water was a volunteer. I wanted to hug all of them. Instead I tearfully thanked the volunteers that assisted me.
Our water restriction has been lifted somewhat for Hiawatha/Robins (not sure about C.R. proper). Even numbered houses can use water on even numbered days, odd houses for odd days. I took the longest, hottest bath I could possibly stand last night. It was probably the best bath I have ever had. I hadn't taken a proper shower in six days...the day we got a water restriction was going to be a shower day...oops, no shower for me! Instead of showering, I was alternating between putting baby powder in my hair, and then using about a gallon of freezing cold sump pump water (which is drained ground water, therefore mostly clean) to rinse out my hair, every other day. I sponge bathed once, but it was just too big a pain in the ass to do again.
Thousands of people are still displaced. However, hundreds of people have been allowed back to their homes to start the cleanup process. It's heart-breaking to watch. But it's heart-warming to see the determination to continue. Cedar Rapids won't see another flood like this for a very long time, we're hoping, so most people are just going to stay where they are and start again. Some are abandoning their current homes to move elsewhere in the city. We have a surprisingly few people who are defecting entirely from the city.
There probably won't be another event that happens in my lifetime to make me more proud of my city.
---------------
On Sunday, FEMA was handing out cases of bottled water. Our weekend manager and several others, including myself, took our cars to Sam's Club parking lot and got 22 cases of water for the residents. (HCC has up to 94 residents at a time, thus the large number of cases we needed.) I almost broke down crying when they were putting my six cases in my trunk. Everyone handing out water was a volunteer. I wanted to hug all of them. Instead I tearfully thanked the volunteers that assisted me.
Our water restriction has been lifted somewhat for Hiawatha/Robins (not sure about C.R. proper). Even numbered houses can use water on even numbered days, odd houses for odd days. I took the longest, hottest bath I could possibly stand last night. It was probably the best bath I have ever had. I hadn't taken a proper shower in six days...the day we got a water restriction was going to be a shower day...oops, no shower for me! Instead of showering, I was alternating between putting baby powder in my hair, and then using about a gallon of freezing cold sump pump water (which is drained ground water, therefore mostly clean) to rinse out my hair, every other day. I sponge bathed once, but it was just too big a pain in the ass to do again.
Thousands of people are still displaced. However, hundreds of people have been allowed back to their homes to start the cleanup process. It's heart-breaking to watch. But it's heart-warming to see the determination to continue. Cedar Rapids won't see another flood like this for a very long time, we're hoping, so most people are just going to stay where they are and start again. Some are abandoning their current homes to move elsewhere in the city. We have a surprisingly few people who are defecting entirely from the city.
There probably won't be another event that happens in my lifetime to make me more proud of my city.
Jun. 14th, 2008
I just realized I'm a hypocrite...I'm accusing of the news sources of focusing on the negatives...and that's pretty much all I'm doing
it's just overwhelming...it's hard to remember that even though we're seeing unprecedented disaster...we're ALSO seeing unprecedented numbers of volunteers responding to the same disaster
(all images from Cedar Rapids' Gazette)
( Iowans helping Iowans )
it's just overwhelming...it's hard to remember that even though we're seeing unprecedented disaster...we're ALSO seeing unprecedented numbers of volunteers responding to the same disaster
(all images from Cedar Rapids' Gazette)
( Iowans helping Iowans )
mood: 
depressed
depressediowa city is bracing for the worst...they've put up a GIGANTIC sandbag wall around the historic buildings of the university of iowa...hoping against hope that it will be enough
it's raining out...honest to goodness rain, too, not drizzle or drips...POURING rain...with hail mixed in about the size of peas and lima beans...supposed to get severe by tomorrow...rain, more rain, rain and rain...pouring down rain
this is not happening...this can't be happening...why is this happening? what can we do? WHAT CAN WE DO?
I'm not afraid of any other natural disaster (except maybe volcano, but there's no danger of that here)
...tornadoes come and go fast, cleanup can begin right away, and it's not like you lose *EVERYTHING* because not everything gets destroyed...
...earthquakes simply don't happen in iowa to the extent of doing any damage
...it's geologically impossible for us to get hurricanes
...this leaves floods...and it's not like you can stop rain, or floods once there's been enough rain...and you can't get your stuff back after it's been in the nasty flood waters, it's a TOTAL LOSS...and you can never predict when it'll be done...because it could RAIN AGAIN...rain and rain and rain...WHAT CAN WE DO?
what can we do?
we can't do anything...I am full of despair at this whole situation...I break into tears just looking outside and seeing standing water...all that's left is to put it behind us and rebuild/rebuy
all of this history...lost
----------------
NOT flood-related
my second-favorite lady passed away today at the care center of breathing complications...RIP Marguerite Francisco
and another lady passed today too, but I didn't have much interaction with her...I don't even know what she died of...RIP Agness Smith
Jun. 13th, 2008
Some places have crested, but some places have not (depends on which waterway we're talking about). Water is not supposed to drain very fast after it's crested. We're supposed to be above flood stage for at least a week, if not more.
The Czech museum is completely underwater up to the ceiling of the first floor. Total loss (very little was kept in the attic crawlspace) for anything left inside. Still no confirmation HOW MUCH was left inside.
The library's contents are almost a total loss. Second floor is salvageable.
Iowa was on CBS last night. I'm always amused seeing Iowa on television, but I don't like seeing it on there for reasons like this.
I kept waking up last night, thinking I heard heavy rain. Scared as hell. We don't need more rain. Right now, we have completely blue skies, so that's a bonus. We're supposed to have a couple days worth of dry weather, more bonus. Haven't seen an extended forecast.
No deaths directly related to the flood so far. This is the worst flood in recorded history, and we're handling it incredibly. I am so proud of my state and my fellow Iowans right now. (This doesn't happen very often. Let me bask in it.)
The Czech museum is completely underwater up to the ceiling of the first floor. Total loss (very little was kept in the attic crawlspace) for anything left inside. Still no confirmation HOW MUCH was left inside.
The library's contents are almost a total loss. Second floor is salvageable.
Iowa was on CBS last night. I'm always amused seeing Iowa on television, but I don't like seeing it on there for reasons like this.
I kept waking up last night, thinking I heard heavy rain. Scared as hell. We don't need more rain. Right now, we have completely blue skies, so that's a bonus. We're supposed to have a couple days worth of dry weather, more bonus. Haven't seen an extended forecast.
No deaths directly related to the flood so far. This is the worst flood in recorded history, and we're handling it incredibly. I am so proud of my state and my fellow Iowans right now. (This doesn't happen very often. Let me bask in it.)
Jun. 12th, 2008
the public library first floor and basement are under water
they couldn't get the books out
FUCK
FUCK FUCK FUCK
the paramount theatre (as in plays, not theater as in movies), which is a historic landmark, is under water...it only recently completed a total renovation...wasted
the museum of history is under water, the basement is where most of the "too fragile for regular display" items are kept...no word whether they were able to salvage anything
the roosevelt (oldest hotel in the city) is under water
the courthouse, jail, and city administration buildings are under water
the police station and fire house are under water
the roads across the river (not the interstate) are completely submerged, you can only see breakwater where it comes up against the railings
speaking of the interstate...the ramps downtown that go up/down onto/off it are under water almost halfway up to the interstate
EDIT: sorry for being spammy today but I'm writing this down for myself more than for anyone else...and since I keep getting hiccups in my internet, it's easier to keep regular updates going here rather than constantly reconnect to IMs
they couldn't get the books out
FUCK
FUCK FUCK FUCK
the paramount theatre (as in plays, not theater as in movies), which is a historic landmark, is under water...it only recently completed a total renovation...wasted
the museum of history is under water, the basement is where most of the "too fragile for regular display" items are kept...no word whether they were able to salvage anything
the roosevelt (oldest hotel in the city) is under water
the courthouse, jail, and city administration buildings are under water
the police station and fire house are under water
the roads across the river (not the interstate) are completely submerged, you can only see breakwater where it comes up against the railings
speaking of the interstate...the ramps downtown that go up/down onto/off it are under water almost halfway up to the interstate
EDIT: sorry for being spammy today but I'm writing this down for myself more than for anyone else...and since I keep getting hiccups in my internet, it's easier to keep regular updates going here rather than constantly reconnect to IMs
we are on water and electric restriction
I've unplugged just about everything in the house (obviously I'm keeping my computer on because it keeps me updated on the flooding)
we drew a full bath in case the water restriction turns into water prohibition
it hasn't rained very much in the last couple hours, so it's better here...it's still raining in downtown, the water is rising there...an inch an hour or more...http://www.kcrg.com is within the mandatory evacuation downtown but they got an OK to stay...four blocks from the river now and still coming
there's a mandatory curfew here 9pm-5am too
the last river check was 29.9 feet for the Cedar River...it's still rising, albeit slower now...FLOOD STAGE IS TWELVE FEET...previous record was 20ft in 1929...1993 crest was 19.3ft!! the river is supposed to crest at 32 ft but it's possible it will raise (but not likely)...almost every river is breaking all of the depths records they possibly can
the worst stuff has moved on down to Vinton and Iowa City/Coralville
there's a raised railroad down there...the water is all the way up to the crest of the hill in most places, and has finally breached it in one area...on the other side are residential areas and businesses...they're already mandatorily (?) evacuated so that's good
my sister Kara's husband lived in Shellrock, north of here...his sister still lives there...she doesn't have a basement anymore, because it and some of her first floor is a swimming pool
we've gotten 4.5-5" of rain in the last 12 hrs...and it's not stopping until tomorrow morning ish
earlier, I did an Ice Mistrel strike force in City of Villains to get my mind off things for a little while...disconnected twice due to electricity flickers, but that hasn't happened again since
I'm just heartsick...I can't believe this is happening again...WORSE than before...I still remember going through 1993...I was in third grade, my favorite play areas were off limits, we had to boil water because our well was contaminated (it was SUBMERGED)...this is just insane, all accounts are this is worse than back then...I didn't want to see another bad flood, let alone a worse flood than that one
mandatory evacuation is now encompassing SEVEN BLOCKS from the river...this is getting close to being outside of downtown (we have a small downtown)...residential stuff starts at 9th St...on the other side of the river, mandatory evacuation is up to TWELVE BLOCKS from the river...residential starts almost immediately on that side of the river, so almost all of that is people's homes
I've unplugged just about everything in the house (obviously I'm keeping my computer on because it keeps me updated on the flooding)
we drew a full bath in case the water restriction turns into water prohibition
it hasn't rained very much in the last couple hours, so it's better here...it's still raining in downtown, the water is rising there...an inch an hour or more...http://www.kcrg.com is within the mandatory evacuation downtown but they got an OK to stay...four blocks from the river now and still coming
there's a mandatory curfew here 9pm-5am too
the last river check was 29.9 feet for the Cedar River...it's still rising, albeit slower now...FLOOD STAGE IS TWELVE FEET...previous record was 20ft in 1929...1993 crest was 19.3ft!! the river is supposed to crest at 32 ft but it's possible it will raise (but not likely)...almost every river is breaking all of the depths records they possibly can
the worst stuff has moved on down to Vinton and Iowa City/Coralville
there's a raised railroad down there...the water is all the way up to the crest of the hill in most places, and has finally breached it in one area...on the other side are residential areas and businesses...they're already mandatorily (?) evacuated so that's good
my sister Kara's husband lived in Shellrock, north of here...his sister still lives there...she doesn't have a basement anymore, because it and some of her first floor is a swimming pool
we've gotten 4.5-5" of rain in the last 12 hrs...and it's not stopping until tomorrow morning ish
earlier, I did an Ice Mistrel strike force in City of Villains to get my mind off things for a little while...disconnected twice due to electricity flickers, but that hasn't happened again since
I'm just heartsick...I can't believe this is happening again...WORSE than before...I still remember going through 1993...I was in third grade, my favorite play areas were off limits, we had to boil water because our well was contaminated (it was SUBMERGED)...this is just insane, all accounts are this is worse than back then...I didn't want to see another bad flood, let alone a worse flood than that one
mandatory evacuation is now encompassing SEVEN BLOCKS from the river...this is getting close to being outside of downtown (we have a small downtown)...residential stuff starts at 9th St...on the other side of the river, mandatory evacuation is up to TWELVE BLOCKS from the river...residential starts almost immediately on that side of the river, so almost all of that is people's homes