Iowa City and Ceder Rapids 500 year flood - The white man's Katrina

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: Rio Rebel
This whole race joke is pretty ignorant. New Orleans is/was largely black (and mixed races), but Katrina affected far more than just New Orleans.

Sorry I may not see the humor in it as quickly as some others - my family went through Katrina on the Mississippi Coast, and I personally know people who did not live through it. Unfortunately, the storm seems to be associated only with New Orleans, when it actually affected far more.

yip, Mississippi took a direct hit and towns were erased. everybody forgot about that and it pisses me off.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
If FEMA sorts this out stat, they'll be blamed for helping whitey before blacks, even though maybe they've learned something and the situation is bad.

Oh come on, you knew somebody had to predict that

Except FEMA really isn't even there yet - it's all been local and state(nat guard) people taking care of things. People GTFO in time(for the most part) and there was plenty of preventative measures because they knew it was coming(just like N.O. knew Katrina was coming).

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Rio Rebel
This whole race joke is pretty ignorant. New Orleans is/was largely black (and mixed races), but Katrina affected far more than just New Orleans.

Sorry I may not see the humor in it as quickly as some others - my family went through Katrina on the Mississippi Coast, and I personally know people who did not live through it. Unfortunately, the storm seems to be associated only with New Orleans, when it actually affected far more.

My family lost everything in Katrina in New Orleans. We are white. I don't find his title particularly humorous either. Judging from his posting history, I wouldn't expect anything less from him, though.

Originally posted by: Citrix
yip, Mississippi took a direct hit and towns were erased. everybody forgot about that and it pisses me off.

What pisses me off more is how everyone forgets Rita entirely, and the damage it combined with Katrina did to Southwestern LA.

My thoughts go out to the people in IA affected by the flooding.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

WTF. I've been reading various newpaper reader comments on the websites and from other local sources - people are crying racism already! WTF!!!

It seems as though one of the hardest hit areas of Cedar Rapids is a very low income area and minority heavy. Also in Des Moines there is an area of the levee that will likely be topped/buckled within the next 24 hours. Any guesses on the demographics of the people in the potentially affected area are? Just F'n sad that people think they were targeted because of their race or wealth(lack of) - it's a FUCKING FLOOD you morons. Your area isn't the only one at high risk. Hell, many very wealthy(and white) areas just north of Des Moines are under water and at pretty high risk right now too.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

George Bush doesn't care about white people.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
WTF. I've been reading various newpaper reader comments on the websites and from other local sources - people are crying racism already! WTF!!!

It seems as though one of the hardest hit areas of Cedar Rapids is a very low income area and minority heavy. Also in Des Moines there is an area of the levee that will likely be topped/buckled within the next 24 hours. Any guesses on the demographics of the people in the potentially affected area are? Just F'n sad that people think they were targeted because of their race or wealth(lack of) - it's a FUCKING FLOOD you morons. Your area isn't the only one at high risk. Hell, many very wealthy(and white) areas just north of Des Moines are under water and at pretty high risk right now too.

Maybe they think God is racist? Or that George Bush, for all his incompetence elsewhere, has a natural disaster machine that targets minorities. That's plausible... I can see why they'd complain.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: K1052
The Army Corps of Engineers is closing a bunch of the locks along the Mississippi in Illinois and Missouri, effectively closing the river to traffic for at least two weeks.

That's gonna fsck up the refineries that get their crude by barge.

There has been and continues to be no shortage of oil.

The storage tanks have been full at 9 year highs.

They are not going to run out in 2 weeks.

They will try and make you think they will and I bet many people will believe it.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Duddy

Originally posted by: sportage
Yeah, 1993 was said to be the 100 year flood.
Now its 15 years later, and we have another 100 year flood.
Maybe old Al Gore was on to something...Ya think?

Gurgle gurgle gurgle ... "Al was right!!! Gurgle gurgle gurgle (famous last words).

This is a 500 year flood. It has never happened before as far as records show.

Maybe 6000 Years?

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Voluntary evacuations of DesMoines 500 year flood plain. Info just released. If I were a betting man, I'd bet there are a few levees that are in danger.

 

[dphantom]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: Rio Rebel
This whole race joke is pretty ignorant. New Orleans is/was largely black (and mixed races), but Katrina affected far more than just New Orleans.

Sorry I may not see the humor in it as quickly as some others - my family went through Katrina on the Mississippi Coast, and I personally know people who did not live through it. Unfortunately, the storm seems to be associated only with New Orleans, when it actually affected far more.

yip, Mississippi took a direct hit and towns were erased. everybody forgot about that and it pisses me off.

I have not. My daughter has been on two trips with her church to help rebuild in Mississippi.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
True true.

You guys starting to get dried out up there? My basement is finally drying. I'm going to have to put in new drain tile around the house as the people before who put it in didn't put it down far enough. F'n morons. But as "bad" as my damage was, there are tons of people with worse damage and probably total losses before this is over. I probably wont see an insurance adjuster for a month

Do you think your insurance will cover any of it? I assumed not, didn't even bother to call them. Our policy doesn't cover any flood damage unless it is due to damaged plumbing. Considered cracking a pipe; didn't think they'd buy it. ;-)

Only had about $2K-$3K damage anyway, so no huge losses here. I was most worried about the furnace/AC since it's only 3 years old, but water stopped literally about 1/2" below the blower so it's fine. Cleaned the water heater burner/pilot and it's OK too. Laundry is on the first floor and much of the stuff stored in the basement was in plastic tubs, so that's all OK. Replaced dehumidifier and sump pump, tossed some old basement-quality furniture, old refrigerator, and stuff we had stored in boxes. All in all, could have been much worse for us (and has been for many others).

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
amazing that this is just from rain.

Is there a precedent for flooding like this outside of the spring thaw?

This is the spring thaw.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: K1052
The Army Corps of Engineers is closing a bunch of the locks along the Mississippi in Illinois and Missouri, effectively closing the river to traffic for at least two weeks.

That's gonna fsck up the refineries that get their crude by barge.

There has been and continues to be no shortage of oil.

The storage tanks have been full at 9 year highs.

They are not going to run out in 2 weeks.

They will try and make you think they will and I bet many people will believe it.

If you can't get the crude from the oil terminal to the refineries they'll run out. Refineries don't keep a month's worth of oil on hand in their tanks since that would be a lot of useless tankage to maintain.

The Army Corps said two weeks minimum, they're pulling the motors out of the locks to protect them from the rising water.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
amazing that this is just from rain.

Is there a precedent for flooding like this outside of the spring thaw?

This is the spring thaw.

I think we were already pretty well past that. IIRC, rivers crested in April and had dropped to fairly normal levels before all the rain started.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: K1052
The Army Corps of Engineers is closing a bunch of the locks along the Mississippi in Illinois and Missouri, effectively closing the river to traffic for at least two weeks.

That's gonna fsck up the refineries that get their crude by barge.

There has been and continues to be no shortage of oil.

The storage tanks have been full at 9 year highs.

They are not going to run out in 2 weeks.

They will try and make you think they will and I bet many people will believe it.

If you can't get the crude from the oil terminal to the refineries they'll run out. Refineries don't keep a month's worth of oil on hand in their tanks since that would be a lot of useless tankage to maintain.

The Army Corps said two weeks minimum, they're pulling the motors out of the locks to protect them from the rising water.

Excuses excuses

6-13-2008 Midwest floods may send gas up 15%

Soaring corn prices could increase the price of ethanol, driving up demand for oil and sending gas prices even higher. Some think it's time for Congress to act.

Continued flooding in Iowa and Illinois - the nation's top two corn-growing states - is inciting fears that the cost of the high-priced crop could soar even further, driving up ethanol and gas prices, too.

Days of heavy rain across the Midwest "corn belt" region have wreaked havoc on the crop, sending front-month prices to $7.08 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade Friday. Corn futures have risen for 7 straight trading sessions.

Since ethanol - a mandated ingredient in U.S. gasoline - is produced domestically with corn, rising crop prices could send already record gasoline prices even higher.

"The floods in the Midwest will have a major impact on ethanol," said Phil Flynn, senior market analyst at Alaron Trading in Chicago.

Gasoline in the United States is comprised of only about 6% to 10% ethanol, as mandated by federal and state governments. But Flynn believes gas prices could jump 10% or 15% if corn were to hit $10 a bushel and crude oil maintains its current high level

Congress' ethanol quandary
Congress continues to search for a way to relieve Americans' pain at the pump, and if gas prices spike another 50 or 60 cents, members may look to change their ethanol policies.

"Congress is going to have a hard time justifying mandating the use of ethanol in gasoline if we lose one-third of the corn crop," Flynn said.

"For every drop of ethanol that we're not using, we'll be using (more oil-based) gasoline," noted Flynn.

Reducing the ethanol tariff
Another potential solution that is gathering support in Congress is reducing or eliminating the foreign ethanol tariff. The import tariff of 54 cents a gallon on ethanol keeps the price of imported ethanol high in an effort to support domestic farmers.

Much of imported ethanol is made from sugar cane, which is cheaper to produce than domestic corn-based ethanol.

"The need for inexpensive and cleaner-burning fuels continues to grow, and yet U.S. refiners are forced to pay a 54-cent tariff on ethanol imported from Brazil and other foreign sources," Feinstein said on the Senate floor last week. "This makes no sense, given the record oil prices and the limited supplies of domestic ethanol."

"States outside the Midwest, especially ... coastal states, are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to accessing domestically produced ethanol due to shipping challenges," said Gregg on the floor. "Imported ethanol from Brazil and other friendly nations can be provided to these coastal states more easily and at a lower cost."

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: Jaskalas

Originally posted by: sportage
Yeah, 1993 was said to be the 100 year flood.
Now its 15 years later, and we have another 100 year flood.
Maybe old Al Gore was on to something...Ya think?

Gurgle gurgle gurgle ... "Al was right!!! Gurgle gurgle gurgle (famous last words).

Do not forget you hold the pompous position here, to presume cause and effect (this flood and MMGW) to which you have no proof.

Our cities are younger than most of the earth's cycles, or solar cycles for that matter. Take for example the Colorado River which had its wettest century during the last century. From here on out the normal river is one with less water flow.

Millions of people now depend on last century's historic amount of water, they will not get enough - and YOU would praise reverend Gore for hearing god's voice and telling the faithful that he knew disasters would happen and that mankind must repent or be damned?


As for the current flooding - maybe our construction alongside the river, including new levees are the reason for unusual water flow. Maybe all this water would have spread out and flooded fields upstream instead of being channeling down the river causing undue stress and fracturing the weakest parts of the levee system.

Do not underestimate our tampering with the natural flow of water, and our lack of understanding of nature, or is your reverend too busy selling repentance?

You are backing your argument with theories just as he is. You are both cut from the same cloth.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
amazing that this is just from rain.

Is there a precedent for flooding like this outside of the spring thaw?

This is the spring thaw.

I think we were already pretty well past that. IIRC, rivers crested in April and had dropped to fairly normal levels before all the rain started.

I'm not familiar with the snowpack in the Rockies this year, but here in the Cascades and Coast ranges, it was more than normal and a cool spring kept most of it from melting off. Mt. Hood still has a full blanket of snow and even the foothills still have snow on them (which is unusual in April, much less June).

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
True true.

You guys starting to get dried out up there? My basement is finally drying. I'm going to have to put in new drain tile around the house as the people before who put it in didn't put it down far enough. F'n morons. But as "bad" as my damage was, there are tons of people with worse damage and probably total losses before this is over. I probably wont see an insurance adjuster for a month

Do you think your insurance will cover any of it? I assumed not, didn't even bother to call them. Our policy doesn't cover any flood damage unless it is due to damaged plumbing. Considered cracking a pipe; didn't think they'd buy it. ;-)

Only had about $2K-$3K damage anyway, so no huge losses here. I was most worried about the furnace/AC since it's only 3 years old, but water stopped literally about 1/2" below the blower so it's fine. Cleaned the water heater burner/pilot and it's OK too. Laundry is on the first floor and much of the stuff stored in the basement was in plastic tubs, so that's all OK. Replaced dehumidifier and sump pump, tossed some old basement-quality furniture, old refrigerator, and stuff we had stored in boxes. All in all, could have been much worse for us (and has been for many others).

Yep, for whatever reason I have some extra coverage on my policy. I have State Farm Insurance. I just got the personal property loss form yesterday.
My neighbor who works for Farm Bureau(for 8 years) isn't covered. He was pretty pissed.
Actually it's a damn good thing I had the coverage because my wife left her work laptop on the floor in the basement when we went down there due to the tornado sirens. We have to claim that on our personal insurance according to the company.

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: Citrix
been there done that. 1997 i was in Grand Forks ND when the Red River busted the dykes and flooded the whole town. 60K people had to get the hell out fast. then downtown caught fire but the problem was that there was 7 feet of water downtown the only way to fight it before the whole city burned while flooded was to use choppers with drop buckets. it was strange seeing dozens of choppers flying over to drop water on flooded buildings that are on fire.

http://www.draves.com/gf/gfindex.htm pics of fire.

I was there too. I remember climbing up a wall of sandbags on the levee north of the Gateway bridge to pile more on top as water was seeping underneath. Probably not the smartest move.

I also remember going over to a friends house after sandbagging for 8-10 hours. As we're watching TV the tornado sirens start going off when one of the levees failed. I had to haul ass back to our house. The National Guard had our neighborhood blocked off already so I waded 4-5 blocks in waist high water to grab whatever clothes and stuff I could carry on my back.

When we got to Bismark the next day we saw the town burning on CNN. Such a horrible sight. We lucked out that the water missed our main floor by a couple inches. We knew many who lost everything.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Meh, looks like the city over reacted this morning a bit due to a faulty reading on a creek upstream. I was just downtown and the levees look fine there - only minimal leakage. However due to the misreading, the lessened the flow from the upstream reservoir. They can't keep the flow restricted too long or they risk the reservoir.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Levee break in Des Moines(upstream of downtown) and iowa city/corralville is looking really bad.

 

[Butterbean]

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy
George Bush doesn't care about white people.

lol that's true - or at least he doesn't care about them as much as his Mexicans and soon to be fellow Catholics (a reason he let them in).

 

[1prophet]

Text

Authorities knew the aging levee near Birdland, a working-class, racially diverse neighborhood, was the weakest link among the city's levees. A 2003 Corps report called for nearly $10 million in improvements across Des Moines, but there wasn't enough federal money to do all the work.

"This was the first to fail, and we felt it was the one likely to fail," said Bill Stowe, the city's public works director.

Some residents were upset that other areas of city have received more flood-control improvements than Birdland since massive floods hit the area in 1993.

Since Iowa is what kickstarted Obama's campaign I think he should go there and ask the following question publicly

How much are we spending building up the infrastructure in Iraq?

It may look like dirty campaigning to some but this country can no longer afford to spend billions on propped up sharia states which Iraq is one (thanks being to the current administration) while this countries infrastructure is in dire need of repairs.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy
George Bush doesn't care about people.

That's not true, he cares very deeply about the Saudi Royal Family

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: 1prophet
Text

Authorities knew the aging levee near Birdland, a working-class, racially diverse neighborhood, was the weakest link among the city's levees. A 2003 Corps report called for nearly $10 million in improvements across Des Moines, but there wasn't enough federal money to do all the work.

<"This was the first to fail, and we felt it was the one likely to fail," said Bill Stowe, the city's public works director.

Some residents were upset that other areas of city have received more flood-control improvements than Birdland since massive floods hit the area in 1993.

Since Iowa is what kickstarted Obama's campaign I think he should go there and ask the following question publicly

<How much are we spending building up the infrastructure in Iraq?

It may look like dirty campaigning to some but this country can no longer afford to spend billions on propped up sharia states which Iraq is one (thanks being to the current administration) while this countries infrastructure is in dire need of repairs.

Corps of Engineering budget is less because of Iraq? proof?

If your messiah came here and said that, he'd be properly booted the hell out. We don't exactly take kindly to that sort of pandering here. Sure, there are some whiners who would eat it up(and likely the mesmerized obamabots) but the rest of the state would rightly tell him to STFU.