Rising floodwaters created by torrential, tornado-spawning thunderstorms caused Iowa's Cedar River to crest at over 30 feet on June 13, 2008, flooding downtown Cedar Rapids and forcing the evacuation of Mercy Medical Center's 176 patients.
500-Year Flood Event in Iowa
To put the current flooding disaster in perspective, the last major flood event in Iowa caused the Cedar River to crest at 19.27 feet. In the 2008 event, the river is expected to crest at 38 feet. The previous record crest of the Cedar River was 20 feet, set in 1851.The New York Times: Waters in Flooded City in Iowa Likely to Crest Soon (June 12, 2008) The entire downtown of Cedar Rapids is under mandatory evacuation orders and municipal services such as steam and electricity have been cut.
Cedar Rapids Flood Evacuations Background
Google Maps: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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Cedar Rapids Flood Evacuations Blogs and Commentaries
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References
Fast Facts
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Population of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
124,000 -
Fact:
Floodwaters threatened to cut power to hospital
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Expected river crest
38 feet -
Crest at height of last major flood event in 1993
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Record Cedar River crest
20 feet
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Year previous record set
1851 -
No. of city blocks under water
438
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Fact:
Steam and electricity services cut to downtown indefinitely
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Fact:
Downtown under evacuation orders
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No. of homes evacuated
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Height of water downtown
Five to six feet
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Fact:
One levee already broken; others may fail
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Fact:
Most homes and businesses lack flood insurance
