Everyone battening the hatches tonight?

[CoffeeCat]

Yikes, is our state ready for another round of this?

I just heard on WHO TV 13 that there is a storm with a tornado
in it, heading into our area (Ankeny). It's about 11:20 now, and
it's supposed to be here at about 11:55.

I guess the rain is pretty heavy. My husband said he heard that
this storm rained 4 inches in Dallas County, in one hour.

We're ready to wake up the kids and head into the basement, if
needed. I just put a mattress under the stairs. I think
we're as prepared as we can be.

I hope everyone else in Iowa is doing ok. Looks like a rough
night ahead of us. Lots of storms moving through the state.

Take care everyone! Debi, I hope you're clean-up is going ok, and
that you've found lots of extra hands to help out!

[4dsc]

1. 1993 all over again??

I also heard on last nights weather report that we can expect rain about every 3 days for a while.. I seems like I mow the yard it rains and I have to mow the yard again, about every 3 days..

[CoffeeCat]

2. It's interesting...

...because in 1993--one of the conditions that led to the flooding was the
huge amount of snow that fell that winter. The ground was so saturated.

We had a ton of snow last winter. Also, we live near Sailorville and the
water levels were extremely two weeks ago. I spoke with one of the park
officials there, who said that they were just starting to lower the water--6 inches
a day. I asked him if we were in danger of high water levels, like in 1993. He
said, "It depends on how much rain we get in the near future, and how much rain
falls north of us."

We've rec'd a ton of rain, and Northern Iowa has been getting hammered.

This could be an interesting summer.

I'll never forget '93! I lived in Ames, and people were in boats on Lincoln Way. You
couldn't leave Ames because the highways leading in/out were under water.

Remember it raining 15 inches in one night???? I remember looking at the radar and seeing
this giant red splotch--the size of Iowa--heading into Iowa. That was the night before
the flood. I was a volunteer at a YMCA camp that night, and the kids had to be taken out
of the camp by the police in the middle of the night.

I wrote an article on the gorge that created in Sailorville, due to the water going over
the spillway. Did other see the gorge? The water carved out this amazing canyon. Truly
astounding.

I'd be interested in hearing others' '93 experiences.

[Hobarticus]

10. '93...no, I don't miss that at all

Sandbagging in downtown Des Moines....water rationing, if there was any water at all....

[Debi]

3. Thanks, TS! I was actually on the phone w/Cornfield when the first big blast of thunder hit

scared me right out of my chair, rattled the windows and set car alarms off on the street! My basement is wet (the gutters were seperated from my roof when the trees fell on them so the water is running right down through the foundation) but it'll dry and nothing down there is damaged that I can tell.

We're moving along pretty well, both cars are in the shop ready to get repaired and our garage is completely demolished (we've rescued all we can from it - now time to start pricing what we need to replace). Still, much easier time than our neighbors in Parkersburg and New Hartford are having to deal with. Wish it would just stop raining so they could gather as much of their belongings as they can still find.

Lots and lots of wood to be cut at the Debi's home this weekend. Anyone game?????

[CoffeeCat]

11. This rain is nutsy cuckoo!

Debi...it sounds like you guys really have been working hard on your garage.

At least you are in "repair" mode. Glad to hear your cars weren't totaled. Keep us posted
on your progress!

The rain continues since this initial post! Wow, I'm feeling deja vu from 1993. Every day now,
we take the kids to Saylorville. The lake level has gone up 14 feet in the past week! There are people
taking pictures everywhere and cars stopped. The spillway is really a sight. The water moves through
there so fast...it's like a volcano of water coming through there. It's quite the tourist attraction!

Saylorville officials are saying that the water will go over the emergency spillway sometime on
Tuesday. I'm completely blown away by all of this.

The forecast shows rain almost everyday in the next 7 days.

I hope everyone is high and dry and doing ok!

[Debi]

12. Actually we won't have a garage until July - but we got a new roof

Saturday, just in time for the storm. And w/out any gutters on the house we now have a basement full of water! x(

Beaver Creek has flooded New Hartford and the Cedar River is threatening Cedar Falls. I heard that Mason City is a mess (anyone from up north know what's going on?)

Thank goodness for a couple of dry days - and then off we go again x(

[CoffeeCat]

14. I'm glad you have a new roof!

I didn't realize the roof on your house was damaged--in addition to the garage!

Darn storms!

Yes, we're supposed to get more rain beginning Wednesday. The forecast I saw indicated
a chance for rain every day. Some days were 20 percent, some were 50 percent. Who knows
what that means though!

I didn't know that about Cedar Falls. I hear Iowa City is getting really bad. There is
water all along the bottom of Dubuque Street and Mayflower dorm is in trouble (I lived
there when I went to Iowa). This is sounding more and more like '93.

The upcoming weather this week--will either sink us or stave off a major crisis.

Glad to hear you're moving forward Debbie. I know it's got to be stressful. I hope
your basement doesn't get damaged.

Take care!

[4dsc]

4. When do you think its going to stop??

Des Moines received another 3 inches of rain on Thursday night and its raining really good right now on Sunday.. I don't know how much more Iowa's two major reservior's can take before they go over the top..

[Bluzmann57]

5. There is even a possibility that Iowa City will get flooded

And it never floods out there. But I was reading the paper this morning and they we saying that the Coralville dam is about to go over the top, as well as the Iowa River. I gotta tell you if the river floods, IC will be a mess. That river is dirty.

[Peacetrain]

8. Just talked to my son in Iowa City

He said do not go down Dubuque St.. it is a mess.. we are headed there in a few days.. does not sound good at all

[IADEMO2004]

6. Clickable river level and prediction map

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=dvn&view=1,1,1,0,1,1,1,1&toggles=10,7,8,2,9,15,6

Edit to add: Hope they are wrong about Cedar Rapids prediction

Edit 2: I hope they are wrong about all predictions

[Debi]

13. Thanks for the cool link

wish everything wasn't such a mess!

[rurallib]

7. cross our fingers we've been missed since Thursday

pretty much. We seem to have developed a leak in the new bathroom. I tried to find it but can't, so I will gladly call a roofer.
But we did have 3+ inches Thursday.

[Hobarticus]

9. Not Ankeny, again?!?

Jeez, my hometown can't catch a break.