Mercy Medical Center Evacuating

All 176 patients -- critical patients to be transported first. Not sure where they are going... Lukes? UofI?

they evac'd the critical ones hours ago.
http://www.kcrg.com/

(Click on "Watch KCRG News Live"

Luke's is also on emergency generators/power. From what the Director of Luke's is saying now on KCRG, Mercy is also looking to area hospitals in Waterloo, Iowa City, etc.

"extraordinary help" from what I'm hearing now. I've got your website bookmarked to watch later. I've been watching this situation for 2 days now and am in shock at what I'm seeing.
What are people doing about their pets? It sounds like the shelters won't take them. I thought they had to - maybe that's just red cross. The schools aren't though. Geez, this is just awful but it does sound like everybody is in emergency mode and doing what they need they need to do. Prayers to all of you!!!!

At first people were told to take pets to the Cedar Valley Humane Society. I'm not sure if that facility filled or if the flooding along Hwy 13 was preventing people from reaching it. In any event, people are now being told to take pets to the Diamond V facility at Kirkwood Community College. The problem, of course, is traveling around the city -- it's not an easy proposition. Now that Hwy 30 has closed, the only way for people on the east side of town to get to Kirkwood would be to travel north and connect with I-380, then travel back south and hook up with the other end of Hwy 30 (maybe Airport Road?)

Of course, once you drop your pet at that shelter, you've got to make your way to the human shelter.

I saw it a bit ago and looked again. If the river goes up to this level, then I-380 is flooded. Somebody at one of the shelters said the Humane society was closed so their pets are in their car outside the shelter. The farm animals - oh I don't even want to go there.

http://www.kcrg.com/features/19877224.html

That map is no longer an adequate reflection of what's going on. For instance, Mercy sits between 8th and 10th streets SE & 5th and 8th avenues SE --- a good four city blocks from where the flood plain on the projection map ends.

On the west side, I'm not sure where the flooding ends, but it stretches out well beyond the interstate.

since the water is right at the hospital. And, the water has at least another foot to go. You can see the water gauge at the link.
I'm turning in for now but will be back tomorrow in the am. Please stay safe and keep us posted. I may be in Oregon but am sure going to be praying for all of Iowa. Wherever this storm goes, it's going to cause flooding but it's supposed to be dry tomorrow, thanks God!

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=dvn&gage=cidi4&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1

...are being transported to St. Luke's, but St. Luke's is running
on generator power.

The spokesperson from Mercy is saying that the decision to evacuate
happened at 8;30 p.m. However, everyone is just finding out now
about this--more than 3 hours later.

I know these people are stressed and very busy, but I hope people
get information like this in a timely fashion. People need to know
what's going on.

I sometimes wonder if some information is kept on the down low--to
prevent people from panicking. I live in the Des Moines area, and
I felt that our local media was very informative, but conservative
in their reporting.

Maybe I'm more pessimistic, but Cedar Rapids seems like a major
catastrophe--nearly Katrina-like circumstances, and CR just had
a heavy dump of rain earlier this evening. I'm no water expert, but
this is looking extremely dire.

so your instincts are right on. I felt this today when I looked at the river gauges. People at the school shelters said they'd be there until at least the 16th and so FEMA needs to get off their asses and set up shelters. It was so crowded in one of the schools. Jones county - all shut down too, just heard.

Sewage in the water there -- of course, I'm certain there is sewage in the water here too, probably just in smaller doses.

I was downtown late this afternoon (roughly 3-4) and there was no water reaching Mercy. This is just wild... absolutely wild.

they'll lose power. I'm at a loss for words, am so hoping, praying they are all going to be ok and get out of there. Am getting all teared up again. Boy, it's just been hard to watch, hear it all and imagine what they are going through.

Just heard that on KWWL.