Back in 1993 I was 11 and Iowa saw some of the worst flooding since 1929. Everybody still refers to ’93 whenever it rains a lot or the rivers start to rise.

Every time I’ve called home this summer, Pops has said “Well, it’s raining” and mentioned how poor Randy can’t get his crops in, or how there’s water standing in so and so’s soybean field. Real dramatic stuff, and particularly terrible for the farmers.

Well, the last few days have been especially riveting. Iowa City, where I’d really like to live someday, has been on alert the past few days because their resevoir was about to go over its spillway, thus out of the control of the Corps of Engineers. It topped the res last night and who knows how high the water will go.

So far, flood levels are above ’93.

As far as Cedar Rapids? Well, it’s not pretty there neithers, folks. At least this is what Brother tells me, and he’s fairly accurate. He and Laura took these pictures of the Cedar River last night before the cops shut down the area around the river and made all the gawkers go home.

I’m pretty sure this here building is Cargill or something. Anyways, it’s down by the river. Pretty floody looking.

This is probably the 2nd Avenue Bridge. I can’t remember seeing the water that high since, well, ’93.

And that’s May’s Island. (Nice work on the sun in the background, there, Brother. 5+)

This morning, Mom and Pops went down to their office, which is a few blocks off the river, to grab their computers to take home and get everything up off the floor. The hope is that only a few inches of water will reach that far past the river banks but…well, it’s really anyone’s guess.

The sewer downtown got turned off last night or something, so Pops was telling me that there are port-o-johns set up in front of the Alliant building. (Gross. I hope somebody gets those out before they get in the floodwaters!)

Andrew and I have been discussing Mom and Pops’ progress all day. Things like:

And