humbling expirence

I have spent alot of time this year complaining about the weather, I mean alot. Wet cold spring and it is still raining all the time it seems like. It was tough to get the crops in, didnt think I would ever be able to spray, and making hay is near impossible. Somehow we got the wheat out in between showers but I am starting to wonder about the oats.
I had reason to take a trip west into IA. I checked and the bridge at Burlington was finally open so that was the chosen route.
I know they dont need people wandering around over there but anyone who has reason to be over that way it is unbelievable.
The town of Gulfport is still under a few feet of water and maybe a total loss. There is a row of pumps that is impressive putting water back over the levee but I cant even imagine how much water needs to be pumped.
The part that really made me think is when I drove by the farmsteads in the bottom. I could see the water marks high on the grain bins and outbuildings. The water was near the eves of the homes. There is absolutley no sign of the crops that had been there. They are totally gone. I dont know where all the trash from the crops went but the ground is totally bare. It looks like everything in the bottom has serious damage. There is nothing living, roadsides are dead, fencerows, yards, low branches in trees it is a very dead looking place.
Now those folks have reason to complain and I doubt they are. They were behind a levee and when it broke they were at river level or below. I'm sure they worked to get everything out they could but as the water came in but they lost their crops, suffered damage to buildings and equipment, and I suppose those homes may be ruined. With all that devasation they have replanted a few of the higher fields with beans hoping for a crop of some sort.
In retrospect I have nothing to complain about.
bill

Bill I lost about 30 acres out 800 and consider myself lucky compared to the guys south of me.The tree line at the top is the Coralville lake and the land flooded below the tree line is mine.

Another town that went under was Oakville. I saw a picture from the air that showed about 10 or 12 square miles. All you could see were the tops of silos and barns.

There are people living in camping trailers in their driveways north of me in Cedar Rapids. The city has a law against it. The law has been on the books for years. They are looking the other way and are gonna lift the law till people can get back in there homes. The people are still waiting for the decision as to if they will be allowed to rebuild in the same spot.

Then there is Iowa city that is the picture above. These houses are under 7 years old and $300,000 plus.

Yup I consider myself lucky.

Gary

Gary, I wonder if any of these houses had flood insurance?

I don't think they did. They were above the 100 year flood plane. But the 500 year flood got them.

The flood of 93 did not get close to this area.

In 93 there was about 29,000 cubic feet per second going over and thru the Coralville dam.

This year it reached 42,000 cubic feet per second.

Another reason thes houses got it was the had a coffer dam built downstream to rebuild some steam tunnels under the river. That dam slowed the water to help flood these houses above it.

Gary

Yes, And where is the news midia. I am not saying that the midwest flooding is anything like ketrina but the news media must be tired of it. The midwest flood victims are still suffering but you hardly hear the news mention it anymore?