floods | Looking in at Iowa

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
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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
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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
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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.

CEO’s column: ‘New Orleans area hospitals hope Iowa health system doesn’t suffer same fate’ July 19, 2008

Posted by John in Health Care.
Tags: Cedar Rapids (Iowa), Flooding, floods, Floods of 2008, Hospitals, Hurricane Katrina, St. Luke's Hospital (Cedar Rapids), Ted Townsend
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From News-Medical.net:

I recently spoke with Ted Townsend, the CEO of St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about what their hospital could expect to face after this catastrophe. It was a sobering experience for me to advise a colleague that his institution may face a long term financial crisis similar to the one that the Federal government has not dealt with in the almost three years since Hurricane Katrina decimated the healthcare delivery system in our region. …

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
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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
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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
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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. …

Militant: ‘Flood cleanup workers fight job agency rip-off’ July 8, 2008

Posted by John in Jobs, Nature, Weather.
Tags: Cedar Rapids (Iowa), Command Center, Des Moines (Iowa), employment, flood recovery, flooded areas, Flooding, floods, Floods of 2008, Mary Butler
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According to The Militant, socialist newsweekly:

Hundreds of workers hired by a temporary agency here for flood cleanup in Cedar Rapids, 115 miles away, were left stranded with no pay at the end of their assignment. In response a number of the workers assembled in Des Moines at the agency’s parking lot to demand their promised pay. The company locked the doors and called the police to break up the crowd. …

[Mary] Butler said she received one phone call from a worker reporting that 17 Command Center employees were housed in one motel room. They were sleeping in shifts. …

VIDEO: Council member Brian Fagan takes NBC News on tour of Cedar Rapids July 7, 2008

Posted by John in Government, Nature, Weather.
Tags: Brian Fagan, Cedar Rapids (Iowa), FEMA, flooded areas, Flooding, floods, Floods of 2008, floodwaters, natural disasters
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From NBC News via WeatherPlus.com (video viewable from this page):

Cedar Rapids, Iowa was among the places hardest hit. City Council member Brian Fagan is in charge of overseeing the city’s recovery.

Fagan recently took NBC News on a tour of his city to show what its up against. …

Flooded-out, abandoned Cedar Rapids pets adopted in Chicago today July 6, 2008

Posted by John in Nature, Weather.
Tags: abandoned animals, abandoned pets, animal adoption, animals, dogs, flooded areas, Flooding, floods, Floods of 2008, Paula Fasseas, PAWS Chicago, pet adoption, pets
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From CBS2 Chicago:

VIDEO: Four-legged flood victims seek new owners

When Quincy, Ill. And Cedar Rapids, Iowa were ravaged by floods last month, there was a human toll paid in damaged property and lost homes, but there was also a toll exacted on pets.

“The people that lost their homes, they lost everything – they moved in with family, most of them and they can’t keep their pets,” said PAWS Chicago founder Paula Fasseas. …

“Many people just abandoned dogs and let them loose,” Fasseas said. …

If you think you’d benefit by taking home a flood dog you can do so Sunday from 11-5 p.m. at PAWS Chicago on North Clybourn.

Dog photos and additional details available from PAWS Chicago site, including this Dogs available for adoption page (look for “Iowa Rescue Mission”).

The Chicago Tribune also has an article with video: Dogs, cats from flood-ravaged Midwest find new homes.