Running Iowa tornado/flood thread

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with flooding)

Since this is morphing into a Running Iowa Flooding thread I'll post this here.

Lost in all the stories about the flooding in the Des Moines area is the fact that the NCAA track and field championships are being held at Drake University this week. Several teams have already had to switch hotels as as result.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080610/SPORTS02/80610051

Drake itself isn't in a flood zone so the meet is still expected to be held.

 

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with flooding)

Cedar Rapids now going with a mandatory evacuation to the 500-year flood plain.

http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/NEWS/586355564/1001/NEWS

If CR is spared, Iowa City is next in line.

 

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with flooding)

Just read that. Forecast calls for rain in DM today and tomorrow.

 

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with flooding)

Right now it appears that it's just a game of chicken with the Cedar.

Wherever it completely jumps its banks it's going to be bad, because the ground is already supersaturated.

And, yeah, the forecast keeps calling for more rain.

 

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with flooding)

It's already bad in Iowa City. NWS is calling for a record crest, worse than 1993.

And all of that water is coming this way. We're ready _ right now the NWS is saying the crest here will be about the same as what it was about a month ago when the river came up. So, it won't be as bad as 1993 here. But, if it keeps raining.

 

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with flooding)

Grew up in Danville, went to college at Central in Pella and had my first newspaper job in Ida Grove in northwest Iowa. I remember the flood of '93 very well. If I remember correctly, all but one county in Iowa was declared a disaster during that flood. The one county spared was Ida County, where I lived. We had several creeks and streams, but no major river so we were spared.

 

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with flooding)

Tornado hits Boy Scout camp in western Iowa — at least four dead. Sounds like the toll could go higher.

 

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with flooding)

Which camp? The one by Boone?

 

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with flooding)

The one between Sioux City and Omaha. Victims taken to hospitals all over. About 120 people were at the camp.

 

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with flooding)

Here's what Yahoo has so far:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/severe_weather

 

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with floodin

From AP:

URGENT
4 dead, 40 hurt as tornado hits Boy Scout camp
Eds: APNewsNow.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A spokeswoman for Iowa Homeland Security said at least four people were killed and 40 injured Wednesday evening when a tornado struck a western Iowa Boy Scout camp.
Julie Tack, a spokeswoman for Iowa Homeland Security, said a search and rescue team had been deployed to the camp, near Little Sioux in Harrison County. She said the camp was covered with debris and downed trees after the tornado hit about 7 p.m.
Tack said there were 93 campers and 25 staff members at the camp when the tornado struck. The campers were between 13 and 18 years old and were attending a leadership training camp.
“They were considered some of the best in the area,” Tack said.
At least 40 people who were injured in the storm were being taken to area hospitals.

 

Re: Tornado-ravaged Iowa community needs SANDBAGS (area now dealing with flooding)

Jesus, that's just awful.