Flooding in the Midwest

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

I think that's the very reason why no one has suggested doing anything at all with 100- or 500-year floodplains (and really, the reason why we label them as such) - it's unpredictable and sometimes will go completely apeshit. No one is saying to clear out the 500-year floodplain, just the areas that are consistently in danger and would be cost-effective to purchase.



At least from what I've seen and read, anyone who takes that tone is likely being disingenuous based on a preconceived agenda. The WV Representative that blamed this on Bush did so with absolutely no understanding of the situation.

I haven't heard a single person involved claim that governmental agencies did anything wrong, which is the most telling part. Unless further information comes to light, you have to simply think this was a once-in-500-years occurrence, and you can't plan for that sort of thing.

That's completely how I see it, but I'm still expecting spin to emerge that will allow people to advocate for whatever it is that they want to advocate for anyway.

As long as it remains a bad-stuff-even-happens-with-good-government story or a look-at-what-can-be-accomplished-with-relatively-minimal-federal-government-action story, there's not going to be a good agenda and story match-up for many media outlets or so says my little black media hating heart.

On a slightly different note, what's going to happen with the flooding hits the Mississippi outside of New Orleans. Is the river delta down there just so big we can assume it's going to be okay?

[bluefish81]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

But when you talk about stuff in the 100 year or 500 year flood plain, should the govt. buy that too? How much farm land would that involve that would make sense NOT to plant most years? I know nobody suggested that, but I just don't think we'll ever get to the level when we can completely anticipate and negate the relatively awesome power of natural forces.

As some of the other posters have pointed out, buying all that land wouldn't be feasible. A 100 year flood plain basically means that there's a 1% chance every year that the area is going to flood (according to FEMA). 500 year flood plain means that there's a .2 percent chance of flood every year.

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

On a slightly different note, what's going to happen with the flooding hits the Mississippi outside of New Orleans. Is the river delta down there just so big we can assume it's going to be okay?

I think that's a good question as far as what will happen when the flooding hits down there. I have no idea. Hopefully they're potentially prepping for it if necessary.

[UGAalum94]

I wanted to make clear that I wasn't really advocating for a massive buyout. My point was more about the limits of what governments can do to protect us from nature. Sorry for not bring clear.

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I wanted to make clear that I wasn't really advocating for a massive buyout. My point was more about the limits of what governments can do to protect us from nature. Sorry for not bring clear.

There's a pretty good article in today's paper about the potential for buyouts.

Link

So it's a possibility in some areas.

Also, I guess a new courthouse had been on the list for funding for a few years but it wasn't expected to come through until 2010 or later. Our senators are trying to see if that can be pushed through earlier.

[DaemonSeid]

Ok...so one of my co workers was ranting about the news is 'unfairly' covering this because you don't hear any reports of looting or robbing...

I sat her down and kindly showed her some of the pics you guys...


With all that water....there is nothing worth stealing....unless you got scuba gear...give it a rest

ETA: Midwest residents unsettled by FEMA

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080619/...s_no_insurance

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Ok...so one of my co workers was ranting about the news is 'unfairly' covering this because you don't hear any reports of looting or robbing...

I sat her down and kindly showed her some of the pics you guys...


With all that water....there is nothing worth stealing....unless you got scuba gear...give it a rest

ETA: Midwest residents unsettled by FEMA

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080619/...s_no_insurance

In Cedar Rapids, there just wasn't any noteworthy flooding.

In Des Moines, police were stationed at high ground overlooking potential flood areas downtown on alert for looting, but nowhere worth looting flooded.

IC is still a mess, but really no major reports yet.

It just didn't happen, for whatever reason - it's a different situation, because it's not "traumatic" where it came through then left a ghost town.

[Thetagirl218]

Where is FEMA in all this?

[TexasWSP]

With George Bush creating more hurricanes in his secret lab.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by Thetagirl218

Where is FEMA in all this?

I have seen several intervews and reports with FEMA.

Originally Posted by TexasWSP

With George Bush creating more hurricanes in his secret lab.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by TexasWSP

With George Bush creating more hurricanes in his secret lab.

LOL I'm picturing a baking soda/vinegar volcano too!

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by Thetagirl218

Where is FEMA in all this?

FEMA has been in the area since the end of last week. There's not much they can do right now because the housings/buildings all need to be inspected before they can decide what to do with them and then homeowners need to meet with their insurance agents (at least that's what I gather from the news reports). With at least 3,500 houses impacted in Cedar Rapids alone, it's going to take some time.

I drove through the downtown area on the way to a minor league baseball game last night and it was just depressing seeing all the furniture and drywall and crap that is being loaded up on the curb for removal and all the houses that were marked uninhabitable. And the smell is horrendous. CR is already known as the city of five smells;this trumps them all.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by TexasWSP

With George Bush creating more hurricanes in his secret lab.

Bush isn't even smart enough to HAVE a laboratory.....that's that empty space where Obama's basketball court is going.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by ISUKappa

FEMA has been in the area since the end of last week. There's not much they can do right now because the housings/buildings all need to be inspected before they can decide what to do with them and then homeowners need to meet with their insurance agents (at least that's what I gather from the news reports). With at least 3,500 houses impacted in Cedar Rapids alone, it's going to take some time.

I drove through the downtown area on the way to a minor league baseball game last night and it was just depressing seeing all the furniture and drywall and crap that is being loaded up on the curb for removal and all the houses that were marked uninhabitable. And the smell is horrendous. CR is already known as the city of five smells;this trumps them all.

Some friends and I though we'd be do-gooders after the 1993 floods so that summer we went out for a few days to help with cleanup. The most intense thing I remember is the smell: seriously the worst thing I can remember smelling to the point where at one house I really wasn't a whole lot of use because I kept gagging so much I had to keep running outside to keep from throwing up.

I don't think we were really much use, but it was very educational for us. Our section of the Atlanta suburbs hadn't prepared us for much.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by ISUKappa

CR is already known as the city of five smells;this trumps them all.

I may regret asking this, but what are the five smells?

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

I may regret asking this, but what are the five smells?

Cedar Rapids has five main manufacturing companies that all have very distinct smells:
Quaker Oats
Cargill
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)
General Mills
Penford

Some days it's not too bad - like when Quaker is making Crunch Berries or Cinnamon Life - others it's just downright nasty and you have to breathe through your mouth.

The actual tourism tagline for the CR is "The City of Five Seasons" (the fifth season is the season to enjoy them all/enjoy life ). There's a gigantic metal sculpture downtown near the river called the Tree of Five Seasons.