flooded areas | Looking in at Iowa

CNN/MONEY VIDEO: ‘Hard times in the heartland; Factory layoffs and a flood mean suffering for [Amana Colonies]‘ October 17, 2008

Posted by John in Agriculture, Business.
Tags: Al Powell, Amana Colonies (Iowa), economy, farming, flooded areas, Flooding, Floods of 2008, John Vought, tourism, Whirlpool
add a comment

Image via Wikipedia

VIDEO from CNN Money

From the article:

AMANA COLONIES, Iowa (CNNMoney.com) — The turmoil on Wall Street has come to the Pit Stop, a bar in the blue-collar town of Marengo, Iowa.

That’s where Al Powell spent a recent Sunday afternoon thinking about his future after he and his wife were laid off from their assembly line jobs at the nearby Whirlpool factory. …

Penford resumes starch production in Cedar Rapids August 26, 2008

Posted by John in Business.
Tags: Cedar Rapids (Iowa), flooded areas, Flooding, Floods of 2008, Penford Products Co
1 comment so far

From Associated Press via CNN/Money:

Specialty ingredients producer Penford Corp. said Tuesday that its principal subsidiary, Penford Products Co., has resumed manufacturing industrial starch at its Cedar Rapids, Iowa, facility. …

Now online: Reader’s Digest article about Iowa City hero Steve McGuire August 20, 2008

Posted by John in Biography, Kindness, Nature, Weather.
Tags: flooded areas, Flooding, Floods of 2008, Iowa City (Iowa), Iowa River (Iowa), Steve McGuire, Steve Thunder McGuire
add a comment

From Reader’s Digest:

Saving a drowning person is, at most, a once-in-a-lifetime event. But Michelle Kehoe was the third person Steve McGuire had pulled from the Iowa River. …

Reno shows support for Cedar Rapids flood victim, known to them as ‘The Waver’ August 8, 2008

Posted by John in Kindness, Medicine, Nature, Uncategorized, Weather.
Tags: Cancer, Cedar Rapids (Iowa), Ed Carlson, flooded areas, Flooding, floods, Floods of 2008
3 comments

From Reno Gazette-Journal:

Ed Carlson, known in Reno as “The Waver” for a three-decade stint walking along western Nevada roads and waving to motorists, thanked people for all the letters of support and the money they sent when his life took two tragic turns in June.

Within a few weeks, Carlson found out his wife had terminal cancer and they lost their Cedar Rapids, Iowa, home to Midwest flooding. …

More about Ed Carlson, including a Gazette article, in this post:

Reno icon ‘Waver’ returned to Cedar Rapids, becomes flood victim; Wife learned of terminal lung cancer a week before flood

Illinois Humane to showcase flood-displaced pit bull mixes for adoption August 1, 2008

Posted by John in Family, Nature, Weather.
Tags: animals, Cedar Rapids (Iowa), flooded areas, Flooding, floods, Floods of 2008, pets
1 comment so far

From State Journal-Register (Springfield, Illinois):

Illinois Humane has taken in five dogs abandoned during the recent flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and plans to put them up for adoption. …

Bandit, a 4-year-old pit bull mix, saw the worst conditions of the five. The dog was found in floodwater, and has since been held at a number of animal-care facilities. …

Two of the other dogs, both pit bull mixes under 3 years of age, will be showcased for adoption Sunday at Petco, 2721 S. Veterans Parkway, with about 10 other dogs and five cats. …

L.A. Times/Chicago Tribune: ‘Cedar Rapids slowly gathers itself’ July 21, 2008

Posted by John in Nature, Weather.
Tags: Cedar Rapids (Iowa), flooded areas, Flooding, floods, Floods of 2008
add a comment

From Chicago Tribune via Los Angeles Times:

Outside the plant, under the highway entrance ramp, Vincent Amaya is impatient, waiting for construction work. Not willing to do cleanup at Quaker, he has begun scavenging in the downtown area, looking for discarded copper he can bag and sell.

“You can make $300, $500 a day,” Amaya said. “I don’t see anybody picking this stuff up, and the owners are throwing it out anyway.”

But his family back in Mexico needs money. “I need to find a job, a big job to work on,” he said.

The National: ‘Mother Mosque rises from flood’ July 21, 2008

Posted by John in Nature, Religion, Weather.
Tags: Cedar Rapids (Iowa), flood, flooded areas, Flooding, Floods of 2008, Islam, Mother Mosque (Cedar Rapids Iowa), Muslims, Taha Tawil
add a comment

From The National (Abu Dhabi Media Company):

Through the mosque’s website, mothermosque.org, Mr [Taha] Tawil anticipates that more people will see what has happened and donate money in support. So far, he estimates, only a few thousand dollars have been collected for the flood relief. He values the damages at about US$75,000 (Dh275,000). …

“This act brought us back to our human nature, our humanity,” he said. “The flood got all in its path. There was no distinguishing between religions.” …

9 most popular YouTube videos about Cedar Rapids flood (20,000+ views each) July 13, 2008

Posted by John in Media, Nature, Weather.
Tags: Cedar Rapids (Iowa), flooded areas, Flooding, floodplain, floods, Floods of 2008, floodwaters, video, Water
2 comments

June 12, 2008 | Aerial view of Cedar Rapids flood from hotel roof (1:33) - Video by Michael Barnes/GazetteOnline – 64,313 views

June 12, 2008 | Historic Flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (1:47) – Video by Associated Press – 48,307 views

June 15, 2008 | Strike teams make entry into flood ravaged Cedar Rapids (2:19) – Video by Jeff Raasch/GazetteOnline – 42,766 views

June 13, 2008 | Aerial tour of flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa area (0:57) - Video by Liz Martin/GazetteOnline – 27,671 views

June 11, 2008 | Cedar Rapids Flood 2008 UPDATE (6:10) - Video from “rudedog699900″ – 25,640 views

June 11, 2008 | Aerial tour of flooding in Eastern Iowa (1:40) - Video by Cliff Jette/GazetteOnline – 24,202 views

June 14, 2008 | Cedar Rapids Remains a City Under Water (1:39) - Video by Associated Press – 22,625 views

June 11, 2008 | The historic flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa 2008 (2:30) – Video from “tdriskell6313″ – 22,246 views

June 11, 2008 | Flooding evacuations in Time Check in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (2:02) – Video by Michael Barnes/GazetteOnline – 21,360 views

Kurt Warner in St. Louis today raising funds for flood victims July 12, 2008

Posted by John in Nature, Sports, Weather.
Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Cedar Rapids (Iowa), flooded areas, Flooding, floods, Floods of 2008, Kurt Warner, NFL, St. Louis Rams
add a comment

From My Fox St. Louis:

Rams Super Bowl quarterback Kurt Warner was back in St. Louis, Saturday, launching an all out “blitz” to help flood victims; asking for help big and small. …

[Lisa] Sinak’s mother lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the same flood ravaged city where Warner grew up; where Warner’s and Sinak’s mothers both became flood victims.

“This is my sister, she lives next to your mom,” Sinak told Warner. …

‘Founder’s Family Receives Red Cross Help’ July 9, 2008

Posted by John in Family, Nature, Weather.
Tags: American Red Cross, Cedar Rapids (Iowa), Clara Barton, flooded areas, Flooding, floods, Floods of 2008, Gary Sharpe, Gwenyth Sharpe, Karen Mercer, Luke Sharpe, Relief Organizations
add a comment

From American Red Cross:

When Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross more than 125 years ago, she envisioned Americans organized to help those who had been touched by disaster. …

Three generations of the Sharpe family, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa — Gwenyth Sharpe (from left), Luke Sharpe, Gary Sharpe and Gary’s sister, Karen Mercer – are proud of a family connection to Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. Mercer took in all three generations when their homes were inundated in recent flooding. …