Personal Disaster Pictures

Rare, Pristine Site

2009-02-12T00:25:00.002-06:00

The Muscatine Journal reported on the archaeological finds that have slowed reconstruction of the levee protecting Oakville and the farms surrounding it. The dig should be completed by the end of February.

Work on the levee is expected to begin sometime in the spring. The temporary levee has been raised and hopefully will hold any large spring snow melts.

Iowa Flood Video

2009-02-01T01:48:00.003-06:00

Iowa Public Television (IPTV) created a video on flooding throughout the state for their Iowa Journal program. It covers Cedar Rapids, Charles City and Columbus Junction. The video was first broadcast in December, 2008. Oakville is not seen in it.

Highway 99 Culvert

2008-11-25T21:50:00.004-06:00

Highway 99 had collapsed at a culvert where the highway intersected with Pumping Station Road.

A bypass had been made around the break. Des Moines County purchased a new culvert and repaired the break a while back. They also repaired Pumping Station Road. The county has begun picking up debris from homes located in the rural areas, over six months after the flood happened. It is anticipated the removal will be completed by the end of December.

Sand Removal

2008-11-25T21:36:00.003-06:00

Some farmland was covered by sand from the failed levee as well as that washed in by the flood waters. The farmer below has been scraping sand so he can plant crops next year.

This pile is from only a small section of land. Hopefully, the snow will stay away for a time so more sand can be removed before it is covered.

Big Thanks

2008-11-19T16:54:00.002-06:00

The Red Cross coordinated the volunteer workers for a couple of months. When they pulled out, Tonya Lanz volunteered to take over the position. She has worked, unpaid, since August putting in long days, 5 or 6 days a week. If someone need assistance, she puts them on the list and organizes the volunteers, equipment and supplies needed to complete the task.

Tonya has charge of equipment to loan and gives out supplies and water. She has been a sounding board for complaints and a shoulder to cry on. Tonya was out in the heat and humidity, now she has a trailer next to the Oakville Community Building for the cold. She doesn't like the attention but she deserves it.

Tonya is also a member of the Oakville Volunteer Foundation which accepts funds which are used to purchase building supplies for rebuilding houses. Many others have spent time in Oakville, but Tonya has been the face of them. She and all of the others deserve big thanks for what they have done and continue to do.

Auction

2008-11-19T16:33:00.005-06:00

The family farm is sold.

The weather was sunny with a brisk, cold wind when we were setting up. Small items were placed on hay racks. Other items like vehicles and shop items were placed on different spots and wood was stacked in all of the sheds.

The sun disappeared behind clouds when the bidding started. Some things sold for less than hoped, while others sold for more.

The land was considered a potential problem for the auctioneers. They had never dealt with a situation where the auction happened so close to a major disaster that affected the entire area. In the end, the price exceeded most expectations.

A local farmer purchased most of the property while his father-in-law purchased the small lot. The farmer plans on farming the tillable acres but said he hadn't considered what to do with the rest yet. There were rumors of the lots being considered for a gas station. The house may be saved, but that is his business now.

Oakville Levee Delayed

2008-11-06T20:36:00.003-06:00

The U.S. Corps of Engineers have delayed repairing the levee that was breached. The levee was being repositioned further from the river. An archaeological survey found artifacts where the new levee is to be located. The artifacts could be anywhere from 100 to 10,000 years old.

Just north of Oakville are the Toolesboro Mounds which possibly contain the largest Hopewell era mound in Iowa. The area close to Oakville was reputed to be the location where the Indian warrior Black Hawk met with Chief Keokuk before the Black Hawk War in which Abraham Lincoln took part. There are several mound locations found on the bluffs south of Oakville along Highway 99, along with Chief Taimah's (Tama) grave site just north of Burlington.

Aloha Hooey

2008-11-04T21:54:00.002-06:00

There is actually a Merrie Melodies cartoon that mentions the town. It is called "Aloha Hooey" and stars "Cecil Crow from Oakville, Ioway." Cecil is portrayed as a hick with a southern accent. He smokes and does a lot of stupid things, but ends up with the girl.

Auction Cleanup

2008-11-04T21:35:00.004-06:00

We finally finished the cleanup for the auction. Everything is out of the house. A sign was found which indicated when the house was built. The date is difficult to see but it says, "Saturday, October the 5th, 1895." It was removed since the house is slated to be demolished.

The sheds have been cleaned out and moved into place. Some may even be able to be used by whoever purchases the property.

The hole the larger red shed had fallen into was filled in with dirt washed in by the flood.

The pole building will have wood placed in stacks for the auction. It will also hold hay racks that will be used for many smaller auction items.

Mike mowed the entire field with the tractor. It took an entire day. He found some debris and removed it. The tractor will be auctioned as well.

Other equipment include a disc, planter and cultivator. Dad used these when be farmed the acreage. He had rented the land out so it hadn't been used in quite a while.

The other buildings will have wood stacked for bidding when it comes closer to the auction. The wood shown here was caught in the flood.

Possible Futures of Oakville

2008-10-24T22:21:00.004-05:00

A meeting between the Oakville Community Vision Committee, the Rebuild Iowa Committee, the Oakville Recovery Task Force, Southeast Iowa Regional Planning and residents on October 23 came up with several proposals for the future of the town. At least four had some possibility of using the family farm.

One proposed the park moved from its present location to the farm.

A second had the land being developed as a commercial area.

The third wanted a convenience store built on the site.

The last developed the property into camp grounds.

Input from the attendees will be used to finalize options to be presented to the community at a November meeting. The land is still scheduled for auction on November 17.

Land Auction

2008-10-19T23:15:00.002-05:00

On November 17, 2008, the family farm will be auctioned off. The family moved to Oakville in the summer of 1957. My sister who lived across the street already left town and she and her husband purchased a new home in another town and will not return.

The very small acreage supported my parents and their 11 children. Over the years we grew strawberries, musk melon and sweet corn for sale. We grew cattle and hogs and butchered our own meat. Dad had rented out the farmland for quite a few years as he concentrated on his garden and woodworking.

The house is slated for demolition, though it probably will not be torn down before the auction.

Birdhouse Mystery - Solved

2008-10-19T23:06:00.004-05:00

Some people were wondering how a metal pole with a martin house attached to it stood up to current that pushed buildings into others and tore homes from their foundations. A metal yard shed was wrapped around the pole. Railroad ties were not able to keep the shed in place, so how did the pole survive?

The pole was tied to a large wooden pole that was buried 3 feet into the ground. The wooden pole was bent by the shed and ties, but remained in place for the birdhouse.

When we removed the metal shed, we discovered the pole still in place.

Oakville Tribute Video

2008-10-13T20:52:00.001-05:00

A tribute video showing the sandbagging then flooding.

Moving Dad's Shed

2008-10-13T20:15:00.006-05:00

The flood had tilted this shed and scoured a hole in the ground. When the water dropped so did the shed into the 4 foot hole.

We didn't want to pull the shed from the hole since it would probably have fallen apart. If it was burnt, it would have damaged the pole shed next to it. My brother decided to roll the trailer out. He fixed some chains to it and used Dad's tractor to roll the shed.

At this point the chains broke. He brought some stronger ones the next day but Dad's tractor wasn't heavy enough or strong enough to finish pulling it over.

We borrowed the neighbor's tractor to finish the job. The shed was pulled away to a different part of the lot.

The shed had stored grain we used to feed cattle and hogs back when we raised them. It was recently used to store wood Dad used for various projects. It is still in one piece. Dad surely built a strong shed.

Misc. Items

2008-10-13T20:05:00.004-05:00

My sister's trailer has mostly been removed. The frame and axles were left plus a lot of small debris that must be cleaned up.

The leaves on a maple tree next to the house have begun to change color, denoting the coming of winter.

Dad had built a large pole shed. It had an upper level in one bay for storage. We were cleaning it up this weekend when a "party place" was found. Someone had moved a couch and placed a stool to put his feet up on. He left some empty cans and a large bottle of imitation Mountain Dew.

Long-Term Community Recovery

2008-10-13T19:53:00.004-05:00

There have been meetings to determine the future of Oakville. Long-Term Community Recovery is a partnership between federal, state and local people to discuss the viability of the town, determine its greatest needs and rediscover its assets in the resident's quest for survival. Posters displayed the flood results as well as Oakville's history. A plan for the town is to be presented to the residents by December.

Oakville Volunteer Foundation

2008-09-30T23:00:00.002-05:00

The Oakville Volunteer Foundation has a website with contact information to donate and volunteer.

Inspection Results

2008-09-20T22:26:00.002-05:00

We finally received the inspection reports for the house.

Notice was sent saying the house is scheduled to be torn down unless you want to protest it. I was told to protest the demolition order would require an inspection the family would have to pay for. The original inspection seems to have some discrepancies but it seems like no one in the family want to pay for a new inspection to fight the order.

Something Missing

2008-09-20T21:37:00.005-05:00

The trailer my grandparents lived in when they moved to town has been torn out. After they left, a sister and nephews and nieces moved in. Dad added two rooms to the trailer. They left and another sister moved in. She left and the trailer was used for storing his many projects. We had been able to remove nearly all before the flood occurred.

The flood waters soaked and mudded the carpets, tore metal and insulation from its sides and buckled the floors. No one wanted to enter the trailer because of the uncertainty of the situation. It was determined all of the trailers in town were to be destroyed.

All that is left are the cement pads the trailer rested upon, a large dirt scar in the ground, some small litter and a pole with a television antenna attached.

The weeds will cover the scar and litter. The pole will be removed and probably the concrete as well. Another small part of Oakville has gone missing, never to return.

Oakville Volunteer Tribute

2008-09-17T11:28:00.002-05:00

A group called Wisconsin Navigators volunteered in Oakville and a video was posted of their work.

Foundations - How to Help

2008-09-09T13:49:00.002-05:00

Two foundations have begun accepting funds for disbursement to flood victims.

The Community Foundation of Louisa County will make grants that will cover expenses that are unmet.

Contact: Elias Guiterrez at (319)527-5182 or Paula Buckman (319)868-4240
E-mail: ldg@louisacomm.net or pbuckman@louisacomm.net

The Oakville Volunteer Foundation is accepting funds which they will use to purchase materials for rebuilding residences for flood victims in both Louisa and Des Moines counties. (Des Moines County does NOT include the city of Des Moines which is in Polk County. Des Moines County is located south of Oakville which is in Louisa County.)

Funds can be sent to:

Oakville Volunteer Foundation
505 Russell St.
Oakville, IA 52646

Contact (319)759-7685

Levee News

2008-09-09T13:34:00.004-05:00

A levee broke east of Wapello, Iowa a few days before the break in Oakville. Wapello was not flooded but farms and houses were and Highway 99 was damaged as well as another county road.

The Army Corps of Engineers is considering not repairing this levee. Highway 99 is the main road from Oakville to Wapello and other routes would add considerably to this time. The Corps estimates it will cost $4 million and they would be responsible for 80% while landowners would have to pay $260 per acre for the rest. They believe the cost may not be worth the benefit.

FEMA Trailers

2008-09-09T13:21:00.002-05:00

FEMA trailers have been arriving for those residents who applied. There were more than 20 trailers located in different parts of town, some next to the resident's former home, others in a trailer park.

The trailers are sized for each applicant. Below is a one-bedroom model for a single or couple.

Here is a three-bedroom trailer for a family. None of the bedrooms are large but at least there is a place to stay.

The water has been restored in town but not all of the sewer has been fixed. There are still portable toilets on most streets but FEMA has begun removing them in Cedar Rapids neighborhoods.

More Oakville Plant Life

2008-09-09T13:14:00.003-05:00

There is still vegetation, besides weeds, growing in Oakville. A small baseball-size watermelon was found amid the weeds. It had to have started growing after the flood and no one knows where the seed came from. It will never get as large as those found in stores.

Here are some of the small peaches growing in a tree that Dad had planted. They are only walnut-size and look very wormy.

Across the street, the neighbor's apple tree is filled with apples while the lot is used as a trash dump.

Oakville Plant Life

2008-08-26T20:48:00.004-05:00

It is surprising what vegetation survived the flooding. Below is a peach tree my father planted and there are several peaches on it though they are only the size of walnuts. It doesn't seem to have been affected but the peaches won't be used for eating.

Lilacs are a different issue. It seems that none of the flowering bushes survived if they were under water for any length of time.

Some things that definitely survived and are thriving are the weeds. A few yards have been mowed or had the weeds knocked down. We will have to do this shortly.

Oakville Housing Inspections

2008-08-26T00:25:00.008-05:00

Nearly all of Oakville's 180+ residences were recently inspected. Each was supposed to be evaluated for their appraised value before the flood versus the amount of damage each had. If the damage amount was 50% or greater, the home was considered suitable for demolition.

It was estimated about 60% or around 110 met the fifty percent damage threshold. About 50 mobile homes or manufactured housing units, every one in town, were considered destroyed.

My parents had a trailer next to the house my dad had put in place when my grandparents moved to town about 35 years ago. He had expanded it when they moved to a house in town and some of my sisters had moved in. The trailer, which was only used for storage now, didn't budge in the flood waters, probably because of the addition. Most of the others in town were moved from their pads by the current.

My sister and brother-in-law owned the mobile home shown below, though no one lived in it at the time of the flooding. It swung 90 degrees from its original position and leaned over. The metal panels on the side were ripped by the flow.

The town has received grants to remove all of the mobile homes. Property owners must sign documents for the process to start. There was a trailer park in the northeast part of town and all of the mobile homes have been demolished. The contractors are removing 2-4 of these per day.

My parent's house, the one we have been working on, is one that has been designated for demolition. We have yet to see the damage assessment so we don't know what has been determined to put it on the list. My sister and brother-in-law's house has also been designated for demolition, though it didn't have the order placed on the structure. I was told we could protest the assessment though we don't have enough information to consider at this time.

I spoke to one man whose son was repairing his house when it was tagged as unsafe. They were waiting for more information to determine what they would do.

Oakville Looting

2008-08-19T21:28:00.002-05:00

Three women were arrested for allegedly looting homes in Oakville. Police found wiring, electical equipment and other items that had been placed in their pickup truck. The women were found hiding under the staircase in a house they did not occupy.

Cedar Rapids has reported burglaries on homes damaged in the flooding. Most neighborhoods do not have anyone living in them so no one can watch out for others. Copper wires and piping are popular items for stealing.

Illinois Disaster Videos

2008-08-17T01:09:00.000-05:00

The Hawkeye (Burlington, IA) paper has an aerial roundup of flooding throughout southeastern Iowa and western Illinois. Residents of Gulfport, IL hope they will be able to enter their homes sometime this weekend since the flood waters from the Mississippi are finally pumped out.

While Oakville had 4-10 feet of water in town, Gulfport had 10-15 feet of water. It has been two months since their levee broke and residents will get their first look at the damage to their homes.

Some Iowa Disaster Videos

2008-08-17T00:34:00.009-05:00

About three weeks before the town of Oakville, Iowa was flooded, on May 25, an EF5 tornado struck towns in northern Iowa. The torrential rain that accompanied the storm contributed to the floods later. Below is a security video of a bank in Parkersburg showing the tornado hitting.

A resident of Parkersburg captured tornado footage and pictures then created this video from them. Seven people died from the storm.

Another person posted a video containing various flood and storm pictures from northeast Iowa and set them to music.

On June 11, a tornado struck a Boy Scout camp in western Iowa and killed four scouts. This is the storm that dropped torrential rain in northern Iowa, up to 8 inches overnight, that exacerbated the dangerous flood conditions. Iowa has had a year it doesn't want to experience again.

Forget Bigfoot, Alligator Found in Iowa Floodwaters

2008-08-17T00:30:00.001-05:00

Methodist Church Assistance

2008-08-16T23:07:00.007-05:00

The associate pastor, Scott Smith, of the Oakville United Methodist Church has posted several videos of the work he and others have done in town at the Council Bluffs Salem United Methodist Church channel on YouTube. The video below is the first impression members of the church had when they entered town.

Council Bluffs is located about 300 miles away on the other side of Iowa. Two (actually three) rivers form the western and eastern borders of the state. The Missouri and Mississippi Rivers are the main boundaries (with the Big Sioux River being the third in the northwest border with South Dakota). The video below lets you know some ways you can assist the residents in their recovery.

You can also go to the official Iowa flood assistance site for links on how to help.

Outside of Town

2008-08-15T23:10:00.005-05:00

Earlier I posted a picture of the break in Highway 99 just as it exits Oakville.

The break was repaired quite a while ago here by Iowa DOT and Louisa county road crews.

Further south, at the intersection of Highway 99 and the Pumping Station Road, there is another break that has not been repaired yet. It is located in Des Moines county which has created a bypass around the break for now.

The flood had surrounded a hog confinement.

Now, the confinement is on dry land and the green surrounding it is actually soybeans farmers had planted to try to get a crop this year. If the land had dried enough, farmers did try to mitigate their losses. One of the risks they take is the cool summer that may not allow the crops to mature before the frost kills the plants.

Some farms are filled with sand from the levee the river washed into them. These fields may have to get the sand removed before farming can occur. I spoke to a farmer who had two feet of sand on some of his fields.

A line of trees has all of the lower branches looking dead while the upper ones that were spared much water still green.

Many ditches have debris and trash in them. This could have been moved from any place above the town.

There have been a series of meetings with residents of both the town and farmland. Farmers are concerned if buyouts happen they will not be able to till the ground. The buyouts are only for homes and when the buildings are torn down the land is to be used for green space purposes which include farming.

Oakville Buyout Option Updated

2008-08-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

*Updated* 8/9/2008

It was reported that Oakville residents who gave notices of intent to seek a buyout had filled out incorrect forms. The correct forms also require a damage inspection by someone who the city or a disaster representative appoints. The inspections and new forms must be filled out and sent in before a September 12, 2008 deadline. The city also has to fill out paperwork for the process to proceed.

*End Update*

The city council unanimously voted Wednesday, Aug. 6, to allow residents to pursue the buyout option for their homes. Nearly 90 homeowners had notices of intent to seek a buyout presented to the council. There are less than 190 homes in the entire town. The council had to approve the process in order for the option to become available.

A resident does not have to take the buyout even if it is offered. There are several residents who are rebuilding their homes and a few are almost ready for occupancy. Water and sewer have not yet been restored to residences so living in the homes will be difficult until that happens. Electricity and gas services have been restored but each house has to be inspected by licensed contractors before the utilities can be turned back on.

This does not mean that the houses and businesses will be bought out, only that the option can be pursued. The state of Iowa now has to approve the buyout option and then FEMA. Anyone of these can not allow the option to continue. If FEMA turns it down, the state can take it on themselves though that is less likely to occur.

Several other Iowa cities, including Iowa City, Palo, Vinton, and Cedar Rapids are looking to buy homes that have been too heavily damaged for residents to return. Cedar Rapids had 20% of its residents displaced in the flood and over 10,000 homes damaged as well as much of the downtown businesses. This much damage across such a wide area has strapped the state of many funding options.

Animals in the Flood

2008-08-06T17:40:00.005-05:00

Oakville and farmland were flooded. Livestock was also affect. The farms had over 40,000 hogs in the area. Nearly 37,000 were moved in less than a week. Some were sold at market while others were trucked up to 400 miles away to other farms. Semi-trucks were moving night and day transporting livestock and grain.

The hog confinement below was emptied of animals before being inundated by the water.

Not all of the animals were able to be moved. If a sow had piglets, they would fight moving. Many farmers opened pens to allow the ones they could not move a chance at survival. In this PBS video (warning, graphic video), a local farmer goes back to see his farm and animals he had to leave behind. While some survived, most drowned in the disaster.

Below is a picture that my nephew, who raises hogs, contends are pig tracks in the yard. More were found in various sheds on the property.

There were several animal rescue groups that arrived on scene and captured animals. Over 60 pigs were taken to other states and given refuge on a sanctuary farm.

Other animal groups focused on pets.

Most people had little problems with the groups and thanked them for rescuing pets they had left behind in their haste to leave when the levee broke. Some reported a few rescuers were using subterfuge to try to enter properties.

I was also told an organization is looking to sue farmers whose animals died in the floods for not getting all of them out in time. I would only want to know why this organization didn't bring trucks to assist farmers before the flood occurred to save the animals.

Those Who Assisted

2008-08-05T23:23:00.004-05:00

Volunteers from many areas of the country have helped in town. Many church groups, including Southern Baptist, Presbyterian, Apostolic and Methodist from all over the country, have assisted homeowners to clean up debris. I have seen trailers from Georgia, Texas, Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky, to name some, in town.

News articles from Pennsylvania and Mississippi portray volunteers who have come to town. One city in Mississippi, D'lberville which was struck by Hurricane Katrina, has sent donations and volunteers to help Oakville recover. I was told some will "adopt" a home and help rebuild it.

As far as the folk's home, family has been the source of all of the work. Many brothers and sisters, some nephews and nieces and in-laws have been hard at it to accomplish what has been done. There are several out-buildings that need to be cleaned out and either repaired or torn down.

Volunteers are better used for those who do not have anyone to help them. There are several older people who can't do the work of cleaning up who need their help more than we do. Well over half the homes have been completed. Some homes may just be torn down due to the damage they incurred.

The house below has been stripped to its studs and roof to get rid of the damage.

Inside Before and After

2008-08-05T23:03:00.005-05:00

Below are the before and after pictures inside the shop and house. A bleach solution is sprayed on all of the surfaces in order to kill mold.

The Shop.

The Bedroom.

The Living Room.

The Craft Room.

The Bathroom.

The Dining Room.

Outside Before and After

2008-08-05T22:59:00.007-05:00

Below are before and after pictures of the house and garage.

Birds are still nesting on the ledges just beneath the roofline. They are also still feeding on the seeds.

We found quite a few frogs and salamanders living in the garage. In the lower picture you can see some of the mud that was scooped out of the garage and placed in a hole in the driveway.

Oakville Council Meeting 7-02-2008

2008-08-01T14:15:00.004-05:00

The HawkEye newspaper (Burlington, Iowa) has a video of the July 2, 2008 Oakville City Council meeting discussing the issues affecting the residents. The video has recorded damage to the town as well.

Sandbagging Efforts

2008-08-01T13:42:00.005-05:00

This video was taken by an Iowa National Guard member who helped the sandbagging effort south of Oakville after the levee near Oakville had failed.

This video was not taken in Oakville, but shows the work that residents and volunteers put in to try to keep the waters out of their homes and property.

The HawkEye has a video of Oakville sandbagging on YouTube. Other YouTube videos about the Oakville floods can be found here.

Iowa flood videos here.

Illinois flood videos here.

Wisconsin flood videos here.

Missouri flood videos here.

Indiana flood videos here.

Oakville Cleanup Continues

2008-07-29T15:07:00.003-05:00

Oakville residents are slowly cleaning up their homes. If a building has been inspected and tagged for entry, people were able to go in, remove belongings and damaged property. The house below shows the complete gutting required for these houses.

Someone asked why this work was even being done? If the home had flood insurance, and most did not, the inspectors wanted to see all of the damaged items and structure. If there was no insurance, the property may be able to be salvaged. This can only happen if you could mitigate the damage which meant removing all of the items.

Any insulation within the walls soaked up water and helped cause mold growth. One friend's home had a solid mass of mold growing on every wall to a line 5 feet high. Mold could also grow within the wall cavities. So removing the drywall and plaster is a required step.

The house below was torn from its foundation and carried more than 5 blocks and deposited in a ditch.

The surge knocked nearly every mobile home off its foundation. Most have "red tags" on them to indicate they are not safe to enter. These homes may not have been entered in over six weeks.

Even though the Iowa DOT has been picking up debris, more is placed on the curbs each day. Second Street below is lined with damaged property, appliances and demolition debris.

FEMA pulled its Disaster Recovery Center from town on July 28. The Red Cross is planning on providing meals until August 3. Alliant Energy has restored electric power to town but buildings have to be inspected before power is turned on to each house.

Assistance to Oakville Area

2008-07-25T12:39:00.005-05:00

The local grain elevator, Tri-Oak Foods, has had its parking lot converted into the Disaster Support Center. Volunteers check in for any assignments. Residents can pick up supplies and water.

The Red Cross provides meals to people working in town. You pick up noon and evening hot meals.

The original levee protecting Oakville has not been repaired. A temporary levee was created extended south from the original levee that had not been damaged, crossed the K-Road and encompassed part of Walker Hollow Road.

The Iowa River has raised due to rain and is lapping against the temporary levee. There are houses west of the levee that are currently under water and may stay that way until the original levee is repaired. It has been reported this may not start until some time this fall.

More Area Damage

2008-07-25T12:28:00.003-05:00

The house below was moved from its original location and placed in a field.

This garage was previously attached to the house which can be barely seen in the center of the picture. The house was torn from its foundation, rotated 180 degrees and floated nearly three blocks away.

The foundation below is all that remains of another home. This house was washed away in the original surge and crashed against a creek bank over four blocks away.

Fields have been wiped clean of nearly all corn and bean crops. The corn in the background shows how high the plants would have been.

Another house had been torn from its foundation and wrapped into an electric pole. The house is "red-tagged" which means you cannot enter it due to the damage that occurred.

Removing the Flooring

2008-07-24T14:56:00.003-05:00

While some of the floors were poured concrete or hardwood, the bathroom, kitchen and dining area had vinyl sitting on a plywood subfloor. The bathroom only needed the plywood removed so that went quickly. The kitchen and dining were more challenging. Under the plywood were many more layers.

There was a layer of fiberboard and beneath that was four layers of linoleum-style flooring. They seem to have been some of the ugliest patterns available. There also seemed to have been what looks like a fire in the kitchen as there was a tarry smell and black marks on some layers.

Some places had cardboard placed as fillers to even out the layers.

There are quite a few nails and staples left in the bottom hardwood layer. Beneath this are the floor joists.

This pretty much ends the teardown of the first floor of the house. The furnace needs to be pulled and that will be the end. A neighbor with a similar house received a $70,000 estimate for repairs to his house. The county has a value on the house of $30,000. If you pay this amount to repair the house, what is its real worth? How many people would want to move in to town?

The town has many things to think about, including if it wants to exist again. The costs to rebuild the town's water, sewer and roads have not been evaluated yet. So far, half the residents do not plan on moving back. Some can't because of age, disease or financial reasons. Others are stuck in a difficult situation. They can't afford to repair their homes and can't afford a new house. One in this situation is on Social Security and doesn't make enough to qualify for a low-interest loan to make repairs.

The answers aren't easy nor coming quickly enough for anyone right now.

Gutting the Inside

2008-07-20T20:22:00.007-05:00

If you don't gut the inside of the house up above the level the water reached, mold will grow on the building materials and insulation. Much of the house had plaster and lath that had been covered by panelling. The panelling had been removed and the plaster had to be dealt with.

Much of the insulation was blown-in cellulose. It soaked up the water, then fell to the bottom of the wall cavities. A few areas had other kinds of insulation.

The walls were still quite wet since the insulation soaked up the water like a sponge and held it. It had to be scooped out by hand and this was a stinking job.

The staircase behind makes it difficult to remove the lath. The furnace is located in the closet beneath the steps and must be removed as well.

The bathroom toilet and shower had to be removed to gain access to the walls. Each room had some unique difficulties. A wall stud, on a non-load bearing wall, had to be removed in order to take the shower out. It had been glued together when assembling so it was easier to remove the stud than breaking the shower.

Outside Work and Disposal

2008-07-18T13:52:00.004-05:00

Most of the damaged contents were placed outside for picking up.

The items had to be placed close to the curb for disposal.

One morning, a line of Iowa State DOT dump trucks were parked in town.

Various equipment was used to scoop up the debris for disposal. One of the DOT drivers said the items were taken to a location so some workers could look through it for items to recycle.

The workers couldn't scoop up all of the debris so some is left for the homeowner to place into a pile for later pickup.

The house had to have the siding removed so the underlying material could dry. It had fiberboard siding, an asphalt layer, then tar paper.

After removing the three layers, board siding was reached. This may also have to be removed to get to lower layers.

Other Oakville Flood Victims

2008-07-18T13:33:00.003-05:00

The height the water reached can clearly be seen on this house.

The rushing current from the Iowa River washed away the gravel driveway leaving the sidewalk and culvert behind.

Highway 99 collapsed where it turned south in Oakville. The hole measured approximately 50 feet in length and 12 feet deep. The Iowa State Department of Transportation filled in the gap with gravel though the road is still closed to traffic due to breaks farther south.

Water pooled in various areas and a scum was found on the water. Tadpoles grew into frogs which are found everywhere. Some residents have found snakes inside their homes upon returning.

The local tavern shows the water level from the flood. It has a "red tag" on it which indicates structural damage and may not be safe to enter.

Various locations around Oakville have tape with measurements on them.

A closeup shows the waters reached 4.70 feet high on the garage door.

The local grain elevator, Tri-Oaks, had fuels available to purchase. The fuel tanks floated out of the ground, pushing through the asphalt covering.

A resident braves the water current to survey the damage to his town.

The garage was taken for a ride nearly half a block away from its original location.

Memories of Oakville

2008-07-17T22:08:00.004-05:00

I wrote an essay that I sent to Attack Machine who posted it. It tells my memories of the town I grew up in. I thank them for including it with their other writings.

Tearing Down the Inside

2008-07-17T21:45:00.006-05:00

All of the first floor rooms had panelling on them. This had to be torn out to reach the walls, most which are plaster and lath.

The dark spots are mold that was growing under the panels in the bathroom. The mold was reaching close to the ceiling which was 10 feet in height.

The panelling from the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom were placed in the middle of the room before being taken to the curb for disposal.

When the panelling was removed in one of the rooms, you could see the old wallpaper and clearly see the height of the water in the room.

Dark spots indicate mold in this room as well.

Canned water from Anheuser-Busch and Miller was available. You had to wear rubber boots due to the mud prevalent in the yard.

Beginning the Cleanup

2008-07-17T21:06:00.005-05:00

We first removed all of the items and placed them outside of the house. Cabinets and appliances had to be removed as well.

Once everything was removed, the mud was shovelled out. Carpets were cut out. They were soaked with mud and had a strong "river" smell.

Seeing Oakville after the flood

2008-07-17T20:21:00.009-05:00

When residents were allowed entry into Oakville, they first had to sign in at a church in Wapello located 12 miles away. Then they had to drive to Toolesboro, a small unincorporated town, to board buses to go into town. They could only carry what could fit on their laps. The normal Welcome sign was filled with debris.

Roads were damaged and undercut by the currents. One house was split in two as the water turned the north wing from its foundation.

The current was strong enough to bend small trees without breaking them.

My parents' house had 4 feet of water outside and 3.5 feet of water inside.

The current wrapped a garden shed around a small pole. It was strong enough to turn a trailer 90 degrees and rip the siding.

A storage building was turned 30 degrees on its side and pushed against the pole building.

Another storage building was turned and rammed into the back of the garage damaging the roof and putting a hole in the garage.

What people found inside the buildings was a shock. My father's shop was trashed and full of mud.

Nothing inside of the house was any better. Items had been placed "high" to keep them out of the water. No one thought the water would reach these heights. Many items had been taken to the second floor while some large appliances had been removed before the flood occurred.

Getting everything out wasn't an option for many. Residents had been given a mandatory evacuation for June 16 at 8p.m. The levee protecting the town broke at 4:30 p.m. on June 14. Many people were helping shore up the levee, others thought they had more time, many didn't have the vehicles to transport much out.

The flood in Oakville, Iowa

2008-07-17T19:44:00.002-05:00

On June 14, 2008, the Iowa River breached its levee just west of Oakville, Iowa. The town and local farmland were inundated by water. Most buildings in the town were flooded by 4-10 feet of water while farms had up to 25 feet of water covering them. Approximately 21,000 acres were involved. The flood waters reached from the rivers north and east of Oakville to near the blue lines on the map.

On June 15, 2008, the Iowa River was running the entire length of the bottom land to what is known as the Big Ditch. If the levee here had broken, the water would have rushed to Burlington, located 20 miles south of Oakville.

Oakville was cut off with Highway 99 covered west and south of town. The paved county "K Road" and all other gravel roads were also covered by water. The Iowa River was creating a new channel for itself through the farmland.

By June 23, 2008, water was still running over Highway 99. Residents were not allowed into town until June 26.