BREAKING NEWS: Water now going over the emergency spillway at the Coralville Reservoir

www.KWWL.com

Breaking News

The Iowa River is now spilling over the emergency spillway at the Coralville Reservoir. This is a milestone moment for the Floods of 2008. It signifies that the Army Corps of Engineers can no longer control how much water leaves the reservoir on its way to Iowa City.

The cities of Iowa City and Coralville have been preparing for the rising floodwaters by sandbagging around buildings and closing roads. The Iowa River is not expected to crest until sometime early next week. Officials have said the river is expected to rise two or three feet beyond the current levels.

...isn't it. It's like-- the last barrier between Mother Nature and Iowa City, comes down!

The same thing just started 2 hours ago in Des Moines. The emergency spillway in Saylorville
now has lots of water coming over it. The Spillway water directly flows into the Des Moines
river and will end up downtown Des Moines. The city is prepared. So much sandbagging has been
done, and businesses seem to be prepared.

The DSM water treatment plant has a 10-foot wall surrounding it, and officials are saying that
the drinking water is safe. During the floods of '93, the water treatment plant was flooded
and the city lost all water for almost two weeks.

It feels like Des Moines is very prepared.

I just wish I knew how high the water was going to get. I understand that officials don't know. A
great deal depends on the storms we're supposed to get Wed-Thurs. However, no one is making any predictions
and that has an ominous feel. It feels as if everyone is braced.

Prayers and positive thoughts to our friends in Iowa City--with their water going over the spillway--and
everyone else throughout the Midwest who is dealing with flooding.

Along with the rest of Iowa and Wisconsin. They are now evacuating the Czech Village area of Cedar Rapids due to pumps failing. Let's hope the forecasters are wrong for the next couple of days.

...the forecast called for storms starting late Wed evening.

It's Wed at 9:00 a.m.---and I'm looking at a long line of severe thunderstorms
that will hit the Des Moines area within the hour.

Geez.

I just heard that Des Moines is supposed to get 2 inches of rain before tomorrow evening!
Some areas are supposed to get up to 4. There's a lot of rain forecast to the north of
us as well...not good.

Eastern Iowa should get this round later this afternoon--and then the really bad stuff
starts up again later this evening for Eastern Iowa.

Stay dry everyone. And if you can't stay dry, then get high. Oh, I mean, get to higher ground.

(we all need a bit of humor in these times).

and heard thunder (cold and cloudy right now). I swear I hate the sound of thunder x(

How are the rurallibs doing?

We have a wet basement, so never keep anything of value down there. Had a small leak in the roof of our new bathroom, but I believe it has been fixed. We are half a mile from the creek, so it shouldn't get this far. So we are ok.
Been battling a bit of gout. Very painful. It landed in my knee this time.
And went to a funeral yesterday for a guy who was only 55 years old. A farmer hit by leukemia. He wouldn't go to a doctor until he basically had no choice. By that time he was told he had about 3 weeks to live. Then he caught a cold and died about ten days later. Really sad. I wonder if health care had been more accessible, if he he would have gone to the doc sooner and maybe had a chance to live?

I have some kind of special antibody in my blood that seems to really work, plus O-neg blood. So I have frequently been called in for donations in just these situations. And I know there have been people saved because the donation department has given small thank you gifts anonymously from grateful families. Once I gave at 5 AM for a baby, with the doctor hovering over me.
So it was really strange to think that maybe if he had gone in a couple weeks earlier maybe I could have helped with a donation.