Outlined against a blue-gray June sky the Four Horsemen rode
again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence,
destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: the Cedar, Iowa, Wapsipinicon and the Des Moines rivers. They formed the crest of the onrushing flood waters before which man, building, and bridge were swept over the
precipice of river banks this afternoon as 3 million people
peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the flood plain below.
We just came up with that analogy on the spur of the moment. The catastrophe that is the Iowa Floods of 2008 spread out like a Biblical plague over the Midwest yesterday. Flood stage at Cedar Rapids is 12 feet. The waters rose relentlessly until they are estimated at 30 feet today -- the old record is 20 feet. One hundred blocks of city are under water, including a hospital which is slowly sinking under the incorrigible rush of water; 200 patients will be evacuated today.
In what may be the world's longest detour, I-80 -- main street of the Midwest -- will be detoured from
Davenport to Dubuque, over to Ames, and down to Des Moines because interstate highway bridges succumbed to the flood torrent.
In Iowa City/Coralville an old bugaboo -- the breached levee -- dumped millions of gallons of flood waters down the streets of businesses. The University of Iowa will evacuate buildings for weeks.
So many bridges are compromised there may be a complete dissociation of north Iowa from south Iowa today.
Follow along with the Iowa City Press Citizen, The Cedar Rapids Gazette and the Des Moines Register.
Incredible! Of Katrina proportions.
UPDATE: we are evacuating our house...bridges being overrun by flood waters. May not get back...
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