Thousands Flee As Waters Rise In Iowa

Flood Forces Evacuation Of Hospital; Nearly 100 Blocks Underwater In Cedar Rapids

(CBS/ AP)  The Cedar River poured over its banks here Thursday, forcing the evacuation of nearly 4,000 homes, causing a railroad bridge to collapse and leaving cars underwater on downtown streets.

Rising water from the river also forced the evacuation of a downtown hospital.

Officials say 176 patients are being evacuated from Mercy Medical Center, including its nursing home facility. Patients started being taken to other hospitals in the region late Thursday night. The evacuation was continuing Friday morning.

Officials estimated that 100 blocks were underwater in Cedar Rapids, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds, where several days of preparation could not hold back the rain-swollen river. Rescuers had to use boats to reach many stranded residents, and people could be seen dragging suitcases up closed highway exit ramps to escape the water.

"We're just kind of at God's mercy right now, so hopefully people that never prayed before this, it might be a good time to start," Linn County Sheriff Don Zeller said. "We're going to need a lot of prayers and people are going to need a lot of patience and understanding."

Days of heavy rain across the state have sent nine rivers across Iowa at or above historic flood levels. Residents were already steeling themselves for floods before storms late Wednesday and early Thursday brought up to 5 inches of rain across west central Iowa.

And nearly every town on the Mississippi River from Northern Iowa to Southern Missouri has been alerted that the river is at or above flood stage and is posing the worst threat in 15 years, reports Reynolds.

"We are seeing a historic hydrological event taking place with unprecedented river levels occurring," said Brian Pierce, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Davenport. "We're in uncharted territory - this is an event beyond what anybody could even imagine."

Gov. Chet Culver has declared 55 of the state's 99 counties as state disaster areas.

No deaths or serious injuries were reported in Iowa, but one man was killed in southern Minnesota after his car plunged from a washed-out road into floodwaters. Another person was rescued from a nearby vehicle in the town of Albert Lea.

In Des Moines, officials said they were urging residents to evacuate more than 200 homes north of downtown because of concerns that the Des Moines River would top a nearby levee. Some residents also were ordered to evacuate homes along rivers in Iowa City and Coralville.

In Cedar Rapids, a city of about 124,000, flood waters downtown neared the top of stop signs and cars were nearly covered in water. It wasn't clear just how high the river had risen because a flood gauge was swept away by the swirling water.

"It's going door to door to make sure people don't need to be rescued, cause right now they can't get out on their own," said Dave Koch, a spokesman for the Cedar Rapids Fire Department. "It's just too deep."

The surging river caused part of a railroad bridge and about 20 hopper cars loaded with rocks to collapse into the river. The cars had been positioned on the bridge in hopes of weighing it down against the rising water.

"I've never seen anything close to this," Firefighter Mike Cheney told Reynolds. "It's gonna be years before things get back to normal."

Joe Childers, an official at a U.S. Bank in downtown Cedar Rapids, was in jeans and tennis shoes as he worked to move documents and other items upstairs or out of the building.

"We're trying to keep water out of as many places as we can," he said. "It's pretty amazing. I don't think anyone really expected it this far."

Prisoners had to be moved from the Linn County jail, including some inmates who had been transferred from the Benton County jail in Vinton because of flooding. The sheriff's office also was under water, Zeller said.

"We've had to move our operations out of the area and to our alternate emergency site," Zeller said. "We are just trying to regroup. When you don't have all of your equipment and you don't have all your facilities to operate out of - we're at a little bit of a disadvantage ... but we're carrying on as normal."

Several emergency shelters were opened, and the city had closed all but one of its bridges over the Cedar River.

"I believe that this is God's way of doing things, and I've got insurance, so I'm not worried about it," said Tim Grimm, who was forced to leave his home in the city's Czech Village area.

In Austin, Minn., the Cedar River was expected to crest Thursday night at 22 feet, 7 feet above flood stage. The river reached 25 feet in a 2004 flood that caused major damage in the city.

Some businesses and offices were closed because of the flooding, including a Hormel Foods corporate office and its Spam Museum. The city of Austin, however, has bought many properties in the flood plain since the 2004 flood and tore structures down.

"The city has been very proactive and that's going to save them some problems this time," said Mike Welvaert, a weather service meteorologist.

Flooding this week also caused damage across southern Wisconsin, where thunderstorms continued pounding the area on Thursday.

A funnel cloud was reported in Grant County in southwestern Wisconsin, said Chris Kuhlman, a weather service meteorologist. The weather service also said flash floods in the county closed two highways and required rescues, though a sheriff's office dispatcher did not immediately have those details.

Just southeast of Grand Rapids, Mich., crews pulled the body of a motorist from a car found drifting in the swollen Thornapple River. State police said they believe the 57-year-old man called on his cell phone but didn't say what happened or where he was; they found him using global positioning equipment.

People in several northern Missouri communities, meanwhile, were piling up sandbags to prepare for flooding in the Missouri River, expected to crest over the weekend, and a more significant rise in the Mississippi River expected Wednesday.

[kristin1228]

Where are Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson? Why isn''''t Kanye West complaining that George Bush doesn''''t care about white people?
Look at the news footage - people that live there are filling sandbags and taking precautions, not sitting on the porch drinking malt liquor waiting for the government to come save their monkey asss.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by vbnvbnvbn at 02:07 PM : Jun 12, 2008

there''s a special place in h*ll for disgusting people like you. unbelievable that people like you still exist.

[reedtaz73]

But I guess it''s ok for america to help with Iraq''s problems...You are an idiot that''s too afraid to tell that stupid statement to the face of a katrina victim.
BTW, this is the first post kristin1228...who in the helll is vbnvbnvbn, and where is his original post.

[starleo146]

My heart goes out to these people I know they wonder just when it will stop. I wish I could do something.Everyday I see houses fallen into the river how must they feel watching this,it is a nightmare and I only hope they are getting fresh water to drink and having shots to prevent disease. God bless and keep all of you.How many days has this been going on now? Mr Bush flies to Europe I wonder if he flew over the Midwest and at least looked down.

[magoo2u1]

Don''t ask for sympathy from me. Just like the people in New Orleans, they brought this on themselves. If they were a little more godly, prayed a little better , if god weren''t looking to punish America, this wouldn''t happen. It''s their own fault. This is what you get when you start considering gay marriage. Maybe now these people will show up in church and put their wicked ways behind them and god will part the clouds and deliver some sunshine. Give up your wicked ways.

Or so some of you would claim. As for me I firmly believe : RAIN HAPPENS.

[slim1h2o]

Bush flies to Europe I wonder if he flew over the Midwest and at least looked down.

Posted by starleo14672 at 03:06 PM : Jun 12, 2008

I''m sure he did,, Down his nose albeit! He aint got no time for them "G.Dam" people. He''s got people in Europe, and the Middleast to take care of.

[grammawhamma]

Southern Wisconsin is having floods and now a tornado at the same time. People are told to go to high grounds to avoid the floodwaters and go to low areas to avoid the tornado. The weather station states "we know this is contradicting...but follow the instructions for which ever is the most imminent".

[labrat9999]

Glad you sent all those billions of your tax dollars to us in Iraq to fix our hospitals, roads, bridges, and improve our water quality. Thanks America we appreciate YOUR money that you could be spending on yourself and fixing your infastructure (read leeves, road, bridges, hospitals etc.,!! But not to worry...in the end we will export our way of life to you and show you how to be successful!

[shanev137]

Somebody always has to drag God into it.

Maybe it just rained like hell for no reason at all.

[randynason]

Maybe we should ask Pat Robertson why these poor sinful nonbelievers brought this all upon themselves by being such latent homosexuals who secretly wish to have s*x with small children and animals. Praise Jesus! (sarcasm)

[rushlimpdrug]

Wait till there are a billion people in
America.
That is when the fun will really begin.

[bozworth4]

and a more significant rise in the Mississippi River expected Wednesday.

Well New Orleans get ready! Your money machine is about to return. Hope the ***** and levies are up to snuff this time. We taxpayers sure spent a load to see they are.

[l00ker]

If our country didn''t have the national guard, equipment and billions and billions of dollars in Iraq, then these folk''s prospects would look a whole lot brighter. Katrina in the heartland indeed. God help them, because their current federal government sure in the heck won''t.

[starleo146]

Don''''t ask for sympathy from me. Just like the people in New Orleans, they brought this on themselves. If they were a little more godly, prayed a little better , if god weren''''t looking to punish America, this wouldn''''t happen. It''''s their own fault. This is what you get when you start considering gay marriage. Maybe now these people will show up in church and put their wicked ways behind them and god will part the clouds and deliver some sunshine. Give up your wicked ways.

Or so some of you would claim. As for me I firmly believe : RAIN HAPPENS.

Posted by magoo2u1 at 04:53 PM : Jun 12, 2008

What aworld this would be if we could get rid of this garbage right here on earth you are so sick you have no idea wher do you live maybe you will be next

[ontheleft]

After all the billions spent on "homeland security" - we can''t even deal with floods and hurricanes, let alone a terrorist attack.

I''m sure Bush will handle this well. He''ll probably call his buddy Brownie out of retirement to help out.

[starleo146]

where is FEMA when you need them. Too busy getting all that warehouse empty they had for Katrina,these people sure could of used it, where did it go anyway? laying in a warehouse for 2 years and all disappeared. Iraq maybe sure could of used it in the Midwest

[grammawhamma]

To those of you saying the people in the Mid West deserved this horrid weather...guess what? Your food prices are going to skyrocket because the crops are ruined. Hope you can afford it.

[samrensho]

"I''''m sure Bush will handle this well. He''''ll probably call his buddy Brownie out of retirement to help out."

Since Brownie already has his own disaster management consulting company I''m sure the Whitehouse hired him on a no bid contract. LOL DHS couldn''t secure their own zipper after taking a leak.

[mudrose-2009]

Gee, makes Katrina look like a crack in the swimming pool.

[smithsss-2009]

You people who say that we got what we deserved with this flood are sick. I live in Cedar Rapids and this flood has caused total devistation. Its not like we live in a frequent flood zone - we have the Cedar River that runs through the heart of our city, we had a hard winter and heavy rains this spring that caused this. They have evacuated people in an area that extends beyond a 500 year flood plan. This is a natural disaster, and we certainly didnt ask for it. You people are truly just sick to speak of innocent people the way you are, many citizens have lost everything they have ever worked for in their lives because of this flood.

[mudrose-2009]

You people who say that we got what we deserved with this flood are sick. I live in Cedar Rapids and this flood has caused total devistation. Its not like we live in a frequent flood zone - we have the Cedar River that runs through the heart of our city, we had a hard winter and heavy rains this spring that caused this. They have evacuated people in an area that extends beyond a 500 year flood plan. This is a natural disaster, and we certainly didnt ask for it. You people are truly just sick to speak of innocent people the way you are, many citizens have lost everything they have ever worked for in their lives because of this flood.
Posted by SMITHSSS

Man, how are all of you managing? Is there anything we can do?

[l8c6]

Hmm, I don''t think it makes much sense to spend tax payer dollars rebuilding a city that is built in an area capable of flooding like this. The city should be moved to a different location. It might just work out well for some of these people though as I''m sure a few must have been impoverished to begin with.

[faith_in_w]

Flee sinners! Gods wrath is upon you. Bwahahahahaha!

[faith_in_w]

I just talked to Jesus. He says to impeach your sinner liberal governer and he stops the rain.

[l8c6]

I just talked to Jesus. He says to impeach your sinner liberal governer and he stops the rain.

Posted by faith_in_w

What makes this governor liberal? It would be interesting to know how you define "liberal" Rush.

I''d say, let them pick themselves up by their bootstrps. Don''t expect nanny government to help them out.

[smithsss-2009]

Good idea to just pick up and move the second largest city in Iowa. Idiot! In the Cedar Rapids Metro area there are 170,000 residents most of which are not flooded out. The flooded areas are severe, but many are not. It is sickening to read the small mindedness of the people posting some of these comments. As if residents of this area do not have enough to worry about, go ahead kick us when we are down. But I sure hope you can afford cereal, soda, gas, beef b/c of this flood all of that will sky rocket because many corn crops have been destroyed.

[loves77]

Who ever you are that says "these people need to move" and about those who choose to live in flood areas... How stupid are you?? Have you been in Cedar Rapids? have you watched the news? Do you realize that people who live 100''s of blocks away from the river are experiencing flooding? Its called mother nature jack ***!! natural disaster!!

[faith_in_w]

l8c6, its easy. They call themselves democrats. God hates democrats. Thats why we thrown them out of our churches a few years back until they repent their sinner ways.

[petro49l]

FEMA has a lot of work to do in Iowa. Loans and grants must be processed to victims of the floods. It might help if FEMA used modern technology. All those paper applications and brown government boxes are strictly 19th century thinking. They might try the an internet site, instead. That would eliminate the disaster recovery centers and the disaster field operation.

[petro49l]

Hey bullyforhim, no need for homosexual schizophrenia on the board. Take your Thorazine. It makes your lobotomy an easier procedure.

[mudrose-2009]

FEMA has a lot of work to do in Iowa. Loans and grants must be processed to victims of the floods. It might help if FEMA used modern technology. All those paper applications and brown government boxes are strictly 19th century thinking. They might try the an internet site, instead. That would eliminate the disaster recovery centers and the disaster field operation.

Posted by Petro49L

Did the Governor ask the Fed''s to come in?

[talkingham]

SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, Al Gore is right. Ten of the highest temperature years on record have happened in the last 14 years, of course Bush republicans may not be able to count that high.

And no Iowans won''t have to sit around waiting on help because they are God fearing republicans at heart and the Bush McCain team doesn''t want to lose their votes. They could care less about New Orleans, and you know what, so could I. I hope the place gets flooded out existance when the flood waters coming down the Missisip meet a hurricane.

[fuzzybear9]

Hello America

Fuzzy what is todays take ?

Incompitence

the Incompitent National Weather Service.

all those Hawvard and MIT graduates working for the National Weather Service.

Fuzzy What are you talking about.

well I should have seen this coming, a record heat wave in New York City, and a blasting cold in Bozeman,
set up the senario for the perfect storm.
or vortex systems.

and since the Democratic Congress, keeps reasuring us that the National Weather Service, the FDA, and FEMA.
have everything under control, I was blind sided.

I should have seen this one coming, we couldn`t have saved their homes but the good folks in Iowa could have at least saved their belongings, with the proper extreme weather warning.

which only shows you can`t trust the Democrats to save the nation in a time of peril.

sincerely to all the needless suffering folks of Iowa,
Fuzzy Bear

[maiingan]

Are they sure this flooding is "unprecedented"? After all, the latest is that it''s a 500-year flood. The Cedar River is much older than 500 years. What does the Soil Survey map show in the newly-flooded areas? Usually, the soil will tell us a lot about the flood regime of an area.

[gunshack1]

Can you say, "$10.00/bushel corn"?

[fuzzybear9]

Hello America

Fuzzy we know you could have helped us on the Flooding is you weren`t blind sided by the Incompitent people at the National Weather Service,
but what of the future ?

well , thats what we all want a look at isn`t it ?

lets look at the real or possible real consequences of all this flooding,

Crops .

it looks like we have lost Corn, Wheat, Soy,
and numerous malt grains. and they won`t recover in three weeks, it may take years.

so when the supply is low and the demand is high food prices will go out of sight. coupeled with high diesel prices.

so I would close all ports and make an Immediate recall of all farm produce going over seas, especially to Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
no more food shipments from U.S. ports.

thats what needs to be done immediately.

sincerely with your best interest in mind, Bear
Fuzzy

[talkingham]

God hates Bush. His presidency will be remembered as the Great Disasterer.

The great neocon conspiracy made perfect use of ready and willing terrorists to scare this country into doing away with personal freedoms and to completely de-stabilize the Middle East to raise the world''s oil prices to the brink of worldwide hysteria.

I guess u can say the Great Decider has accomplished his mission that his DAddy Bush first voiced as a "New World Order'' - doesn''t anyone remember that oft use phrase by his father, sounds pretty Nazi doesn''t it? The 911 Terrorists made a perfect smoke screen for his and Cheney''s controllers.

There''s a lot fo history behind this phrase and Daddy Bush was well aware of it. Of course history is something that Bush and Ruppert Murdock don''t want you to know much about.

[fuzzybear9]

Hello America

Fuzzy Bear we just got out of our homes from the rising flood waters, and we stopped into the public library to get on the internet to read your posting,
what do we do now ?

well thats a good question ?

because you really aren`t in a position to grow crops yet are you ?

what we need to do as a nation is to get you on a tractor as fast as possible,
and I think we should concentrate on flood water crops that do well, I would assume corn, but I don`t think the Department of Agriculture has any type of contingency plan set up, I`m pretty sure they would not have thought of it, what with all the incompitent workers there and all. and the Democrat congress and so on and so forth.

sincerely preparing for the Hurtricane Season, Bear
Fuzzy p.s. when it rains it pours !

[tripd1970]

For anyone who is effected in Iowa that reads this, my heart goes out to you. I am from Chalmette, LA and have first hand experience losing your entire town to flood waters. Be patient, take one day at a time, make sure you get your FEMA number ASAP, and find a notebook to write IN DETAIL every person and conversation from FEMA and your insurance company that you will talk to for the next two years. Oh and be nice to the adjuster (even whe you want to knock him/her out)when he eventually comes b/c it is his report that will decide your fate with the insurance company.

I live in Nashville now and would like to have a clothing drive to help those families who will be going home to an empty slab or a house full of mold and debris. If you know of any church groups or non-profits who are accepting donations to directly help those in Iowa please contact me at [e-mail].

I cannot thank every person in America for donating after Katrina, but if I can return the favor for my fellow countrymen I will do my best. God knows the empathy I have for these people since I have already walked in those shoes.

I would also like to add for anyone who posts mean, hateful things about this or any victims of a disaster.....all I can say is Karma is a b*&$ch. I truly hope with all my heart that she bites you on the butt one day and you are reminded of all your bitter posts.

Have a great day!

[shawnp1968]

NOOOOOO...... Global warming is a myth!!!! It''s just an old wives tale!!!! There is no evidence to show that global warming is effecting the envorinment or our weather!!!

OH.....Wait...... Tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina wipes out the entire Gulf Coast, Cyclone hits Myanmar and devestates the entire region, earthquake in Illinois??? Earthquake in China that will take decades to recover from, hundreds of HUGE tornadoes across the midwest and south, flooding in biblical proportions throughout the country............. NOOOOO........ there''s no evidence of global warming!!! We''ll be fine!!!

[carpriddler]

You''re doing a good job Brownie!

[bogusbones]

it is not global warming - it is global climate change. bush didn''t create it, but his shortsightedness contributes to the growing climate change. the earthquakes, etc. are not part of the "warming" effect. the root problem is overpopulation which is the primary contributor to gaseous emissions. also people are living where they haven''t lived before, exposing themselves to more natural catastrophes.

[pepper150]

Wow, these negative comments are amazing. I surprise that these individuals know how to use a computer. These political comments are ridiculous.

I live just 5 minutes away from the flood area and the pictures don%u2019t capture the disaster. Cedar Rapids did an excellent job contacting people by using the reverse 911 system and knocking door to door and riding in boats in the dark to rescue those that did not leave.

Flooding conditions continue throughout the state of Iowa and water-related issues will occur in many communities through the next week or longer.

At this time, we have to help conserve water since the water supply is at a critical level in Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Robins. The Water Department is currently only able to produce water at 25 percent of normal operation. Unless water demand is drastically reduced a water shortage will occur soon. While water usage has decreased today, consumption must be reduced from 16 million gallons per day to 12 million gallons per day in order to avoid shutting off water completely to areas of the city.

My hearts also go out to the people that may not have dealt with the floods, but they still lost their homes due to tornados.

No matter where you call home, it is tragedy when it occurs in your community.

[nothappyatall]

Could this be god punishing Iowa for giving that Black, America hating, closet Muslim Barrack Obama a leg up on the Presidency? I''''m sure a lot of Southerners think so.

Posted by koko98"

No, only a MORON would even think any of that has validity, but then again y''all Southerners loved SLAVERY and didn''t want to see it end- y''alls cotton plantations and estates down thar in Geyour-ja needed them blacks to max your PROFITS eh?

You keep thinking President Obama is a ''closet muslim'' and maybe some day y''all will be able to count to FIVE, I hear Sesame Street is coming out with a new show for MORONS like you- it''s a new reality show called LEARN SOMETHING.

[nothappyatall]

i wonder if all those events happened lets say 500 years ago also?

Posted by jamesm12341

Of course they did, and worse, going back further in history there were massive earth quakes, Oregon had active volcanoes that formed Mt Mazama and Crater Lake, there was a meterorite strike in Arizona, at least one in Iowa that blew out a 100 mile dia crater- all violent disasters from different causes.

This planet is ACTIVE below and above, trouble is humans think in terms of 2 weeks, a year, last year, not 50,000 years, 2 million years.

500 years ago a meteorite hitting the Midwest was a non- event, there was no one there save some Indians maybe who would even have been affected, NOW because of human overpopulation a strike like that, massive quake or a volcanic eruption in Oregon or Yellowstone would kill millions.

[nothappyatall]

"closet Muslim.."

By your logic idiot, I guess everyone with the last name of JONES should be suspected as Jim Jones'' cult members and maybe you''d better stop them before they cause another "Jonestown" mass suicide

[hangelle]

One can only hope they don''t need FEMA like New Orleans did!

[hangelle]

koko98, what''s in your closet that you feel compelled to hide behind a pseudo name? The KKK?

[bretster7]

hangelle said,
One can only hope they don''''t need FEMA like New Orleans did!



They won''tneed to because they followed proper protocol and used their own resources to get people out of harms way. They did not wait around like Ray"schoolbus"Nagin and the Louisiana Governor did, for Federal assistance. Look how governor Barbour took care of the Katrina situation in his state. He acted appropriately using city, county, and state rsources instead of sitting on his hands like the other do nothings, waiting for the Fed''s.
But those facts don''t fit the "Bush is to blame for everthing, even the incompetence of others" agenda.

[bretster7]

bogusbones said,
which is the primary contributor to gaseous emissions.


I think the opening of your mouth may be a primary cause of gaseous emmisions.

[aaabee-2009]

Wow, these negative comments are amazing. I surprise that these individuals know how to use a computer. These political comments are ridiculous.
Posted by pepper150 at 12:32 PM : Jun 13, 2008

Yeah, sorry. Always personal agendas, never the global view these days.

What can we do for those people? Send money to the Red Cross and prayers to God to remember His rainbow covenent.

It is only one storm away from being any of us, isn''t it? WWJD, jump on blogs and talk bad about Obama, or lend the flood victims a hand?