IOWA FLOOD RESPONSE IOWA FLOOD RESPONSE

By Marshall Grabau
Development Director, Des Moines Area Religious Council

This has certainly been a year of responding to weather-related disaster in Iowa. Spring started with an extremely strong tornado that wrecked havoc on northeast Iowa, including a direct impact on the small community of Parkersburg, and ended with devastating flooding that impacted major river basins and communities throughout central and eastern Iowa. In all, more than 80 of Iowa's 99 counties have received Presidential disaster declarations and are working with local, state and FEMA officials to bring about recovery-a recovery that comes after all-time record rainfall during the first half of 2008.

Here in Des Moines, the scope of the disaster has been relatively slight. However, for 150+ homes and businesses in the Birdland area [near north side of downtown], that were overwhelmed when a levee was breeched, the situation is dire. This is the second time, since 1993, that these residents and businesses have been devastated by a "500 year flood".

In eastern Iowa, the situation is more grim. Communities large and small-Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Palo, Columbus Junction and Oakville-have been devastated. In Cedar Rapids at least 4,000 homes [2,000+ of which will probably need to be demolished], and all of the downtown business area has been flooded by the Cedar River. In Iowa City, all University of Iowa buildings located along the Iowa River-as well as many homes-have been flooded. Cedar Rapids and Iowa City have received attention in the national media. But, smaller communities have likewise been overwhelmed. For example, the community of Palo, located upstream from Cedar Rapids finds 95% of its homes and businesses totally devastated. And, today in the small community Oakville, located near the confluence of the Iowa and Mississippi Rivers, 150+ homes are flooded, the river has changed course, and water is flowing at 5 MPH through the town.

 

The DMARC Response

In Des Moines, the local community is coming together through a cooperative effort spearheaded by United Way of Central Iowa. United Way has organized a volunteer effort that brings together people throughout our community to help with flood recovery. The Des Moines Area Religious Council [DMARC] as a United Way partner, is working to "spread the word" of organized clean-up days throughout our faith community membership [approximately 150 DMARC member/ affiliate communities]. Our hope is that local churches will encourage their own members to step forward and help with this organized clean-up effort.

We also find that our DMARC Emergency Food Pantry initiative is impacted by both flooding and rising food prices. DMARC distributes food at eight neighborhood service sites. One directly serves the Birdland neighborhood [the area in Des Moines most directly impacted by flooding]. Today, we find more hungry families seeking our help. The DMARC Emergency Food Pantry serves more than 650 families each week-more than 8,200 families [unduplicated] each year. And, the need continues to grow! This occurs at a time when we find that problems in our nation's economy is affecting more and more people. Donations of food are down, and the cost of food is spiraling upward. But we are working feverishly to bring more resources to bear on the problem, reaching out to both the faith community and the business community to secure additional donations to help cope with this ever-expanding need.

In addition to the DMARC Emergency Food Pantry, other organizations that need financial help as they move forward with recovery include:

See also Lutheran Disaster Response - Midwest Flood Relief