Flooding in the Midwest

[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?

[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.

[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?

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally Posted by Thetagirl218

Where is FEMA in all this?

Screwing up royally in Wisconsin. One of the counties here was hit so hard that I-94 is still under water there and that is STILL not a disaster area and FEMA just got there yesterday. Some of the other counties were declared weeks ago.

It floods every year in Wisconsin (although never as bad as Iowa) and these are the worst floods I've seen in my life. I live in the highest town in my county and there were roads under 2-3 feet of water.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by GeekyPenguin

Screwing up royally in Wisconsin. One of the counties here was hit so hard that I-94 is still under water there and that is STILL not a disaster area and FEMA just got there yesterday. Some of the other counties were declared weeks ago.

It floods every year in Wisconsin (although never as bad as Iowa) and these are the worst floods I've seen in my life. I live in the highest town in my county and there were roads under 2-3 feet of water.

Minor Hi-jack.
Heard on news (either CNN or CBS) that FEMA had surplussed 1000's of boxes (ie ready to if not already given away) that had been in warehouse for NO's flood. They thought they were not needed as they never were delivered!!!!
Network Investigative Unit found out and people waiting for years finally received what they were due!

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by GeekyPenguin

Screwing up royally in Wisconsin. One of the counties here was hit so hard that I-94 is still under water there and that is STILL not a disaster area and FEMA just got there yesterday. Some of the other counties were declared weeks ago.

It floods every year in Wisconsin (although never as bad as Iowa) and these are the worst floods I've seen in my life. I live in the highest town in my county and there were roads under 2-3 feet of water.

I'm sorry we're hogging FEMA's attention. We'll try to be better at sharing.