Thought Suite

So heart-wrenching! The floods are heaviest in Cedar Rapids where the Cedar River rose to 30 feet, the worst flooding in fifteen years. Over 35,000 people were evacuated, some lives were lost, crops destroyed or delayed in planting which in turn will hit food prices even more.

Here's the latest: link-- The Associated Press

A look at the Iowa floods

By The Associated Press – 1 day ago

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some good news emerged Sunday in Iowa's flood fight. The river crested in Iowa City, although 16 buildings at the University of Iowa took on water. In Cedar Rapids, the thousands of residents who had been forced to evacuate flooded homes began to return, although they could only retrieve what they could carry.

Some numbers from the Iowa floods:

Deaths from flooding: 3

Evacuees: Roughly 36,000 Iowans in 11 counties, including 25,000 in Cedar Rapids.

Counties declared federal disaster areas: 24. A total of 83 counties are covered by a disaster declaration by Gov. Chet Culver.

Iowa National Guard soldiers deployed: 2,500

Sandbags: 4.8 million

Gallons of drinking water distributed: 180,930

Acres of soybeans lost: 2 million

Acres of corn lost: 1.3 million

Tillable acres of farmland under water: 16 percent of the state's 25 million acres.

God bless the Midwest!

I'm enclosing an excerpt from an email:  

"In Cedar Rapids we have a rather extensive volunteer operation that is organized through a wide variety of area churches - many denominations - that is called Serve the City. They are a member of the Linn COunty Association of Evangelicals and serve in various ways throughout the community through the year. The hotline number now has 5 phone lines and my understanding is that almost all of Cedar Rapids volunteer efforts for flood relief are being organized through this group and the Red Cross. I called this morning and they are currently working to organize a similar effort with the Iowa City churches in the next day or two.

The number is 378-0337 and their flood assistance website is

http://www.servethecity.org/Emergency%20Flood%20Assistance/FloodAssistanceGeneralPage.htm

. Cedar Rapids also has a Red Cross office at (319) 393-3500 and there is an Iowa City office as well at 319-337-2119.

 http://www.grantwood-redcross.org/index.html?gwatitle.htm&1"

ETA: Making this post viewable to anyone.

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=^)