Cedar Rapids Weather
City Workers Use Minor Flooding as Prep for Major EventBy Dave FranzmanRelated Content
CEDAR RAPIDS - Scattered rain showers continue across Eastern Iowa and river levels continue to rise.
But unless we get a lot more rain right away, the rising creeks and rivers that caused some localized flooding on Wednesday shouldn't cause too much more trouble. But Cedar Rapids city workers are once again practicing for the "big one." So far, the only high water seen is the kind of minor nuisance that closed one part of "J" Street S.W. at Prairie Creek. On Wednesday, ice jams forced water over a part of Ellis Boulevard on the Cedar River, but that water drained away and Ellis is open again. But what's going on Thursday was practicing for the kind of flood threat not seen since June of 2008. After the big flood, the city purchased two kind of systems that would give the city an additional two to three feet of protection from rising water on the Cedar River. The tiger dams are water filled bladders that workers can unroll quickly, fill and then stack. City crews first got tiger dams last year, and did some training then. One sales rep says after this refresher course crews should feel pretty confident. "Yes, they're great--they've got it after this. The issues they had last year, we can't pinpoint them on one thing or another, but these guys now know what they are doing," said Cheryl Witmer, U.S. Flood Control. One of the issues last year was practicing with the tiger dams in a neighborhood when a real flash flood came down Indian Creek. Crews had not secured the tiger dams for a real event and the dams didn't help. Supervisors say they've got a plan for that area and would be ready this time. The Flood Incident Management team in Cedar Rapids discussed how the city plans to handle water just short of a "major flood" event next week during an afternoon news conference. The forecast right now calls for a crest just below 16 feet on Wednesday. That amount of water should do little more than close some low-lying roads. City leaders say a 16 foot crest should result in no residential or business property damage. The city of Cedar Rapids will prepare for as much as an 18 foot river crest. The tiger dams and HESCO baskets, the dirt and rock-filled containers also used as flood barriers, won't go up unless a Cedar River crest of 20 feet or higher is expected. WATCH meeting: Thursday night, Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett will host his monthly Flood Forum. It starts at 6pm in the lower level of Westdale Mall. The forum will feature three presentations, including a status update on a flood risk management system feasibility study and a Spring 2010 Weather Forecasting Overview. Before the Flood Forum, Cedar Rapids residents are also invited to attend an information session to review the updated FEMA flood insurance rate maps. More Good Stuff |
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