Break out the kayaks

Our town is going underwater. They raised the expected water level to 25' above flood stage. Josh came home early from work because they were pulling the important equipment out and sand bagging. The repaired spillways from our very serious flood in 2008 still aren't high enough. We should be just high enough but I worry about power for everything in a tank and last time the water sources were contaminated so there was a boil order for a long time.

Oh no!! I hope it doesn't get as bad as they are anticipating! Is flooding fairly common, just not to this extent?

I don't know how often it's flooded minorly. 2008 was the first time downtown flooded that I know of and then we were lake Iowa where you had to go down to Missouri to get from the east and west sides cause the center was all water with no bridges. It was called a 500 year flood because that's as often as you'd usually see it. This one can't get as bad. 2008 was snow melt and spring rains combined with constant summer storms. This is just a whole lot of rain at once. A storm has stalled over the midwest after a series of large storms and as water comes down from the north we flood certain rivers of which one goes through this town. People rebuilt the whole areas that flooded not expecting it again and many of those houses were fixed with government money and sold to new owners. They are all at risk again.
.

__________ Fri Sep 23, 2016 10:20 pm __________

Oopsy... the town north of us is in more trouble. My husband said a desperate sandbagging request just went out. They've been draining their lake to do some changes on it. Their marsh area is about to become their new lake instead and right next to it is Iowa's nuclear power plant. <br /><br /> __________ Sat Sep 24, 2016 1:33 am __________ <br /><br /> They are finalizing evacuation plans at 8am but no one is just leaving. The alliant energy building had construction crews put a 4' rubber coated wood wall around it. The city emptied a few warehouses for supplies to block down the length of streets for protecting entire districts. Some places they cut grooves in the actual concrete to build metal walls along bridges.

:shock: Oh wow... that's crazy! And scary!!

It does sound scary, Akane. Sorry you're going through this.

But . . . kayaks??? I think you'd be better off building an ark!

Can't afford arks or boats with motors. I only have kayaks and only because we are making payments on them in place of the paid off suv. :lol: We aren't in evacuation zone so far. Everyone who is in the zone is supposed to evacuate by sunday night. We just can't go downtown and I question the ability to get bottled water and gatorade this late. I'm drinking blueberry soda. Josh is going to attempt picking up coffee. <br /><br /> __________ Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:54 pm __________ <br /><br /> The water is cresting later than expected and probably not as high. There is only one way from one side of town to the other though and road rage is high. Several accidents and police just waiting for accidents. Josh says our favorite fishing lake can now be called a lake instead of an oversized pond. :lol: I wanted to go take pics but they closed off all the exit ramps probably to avoid spectators to the flood and the number of idiots needing rescued. We passed 2 search and rescue vans waiting nearby just in case.