I was talking to a co-worker today about trying to post photo's on this site. It's really not worth all the effort. Here's some more really great photo's of the flood in Cedar Rapids. I had one person say that over 2000 homes will have to be torn down. From the photo's, I believe it.

http://www.andrealynnphoto.com/CRflood2008/

Remarkable, isn't it?  I have a brother-in-law that lives on "H" Avenue NE, about 2-3 blocks from 280, on the North side of it.  I always thought that he lived a "ways" from the river, but, he said that water was in his street, in front of his house, due to the Cedar.  Amazing, simply amazing how fortunate we were here in Muscatine (right on the banks of the 2nd biggest river in the world.  Who'd have thunk the Cedar could be that destructive!   Tom.

We are re-learning some valuable lessons.

1. Always build or buy a home on high ground.

2. Never burn food crops for fuel.

3. Never base your whole economy on one energy source. Or, don't put all your eggs in one basket.

4. Progress is fine, but don't forget how to live without all the new things you just can't live without.

5. Boy scouts know this one. BE PREPARED.

Girl Scouts also know to BE PREPARED. Guess I can't claim to have always been prepared - but that is also the motto for the Girl Scouts - or was back in the dark ages when I was a girl scout.

Seriously, when you live in a 500 yr flood plain and there was just one of those 15 yrs ago you wouldn't expect another for 485 more years - right? Mother Nature has been on a rampage in the Midwest - the longest winter - the coldest, wettest "spring", the gawd awful storms/tornadoes and now the devastating floods. What DO we prepare for next?