Showing posts with label Flood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flood. Show all posts
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Iowa Flood Video
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.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Oakville Volunteer Tribute
A group called Wisconsin Navigators volunteered in Oakville and a video was posted of their work.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Levee News
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.
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.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Illinois Disaster Videos
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.
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
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.
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.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Methodist Church Assistance
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.
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.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Outside of Town
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.
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.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Oakville Buyout Option *Updated*
*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.
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.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Animals in the Flood
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Those Who Assisted
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.
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
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.
The Shop.
The Bedroom.
The Living Room.
The Craft Room.
The Bathroom.
The Dining Room.
Outside Before and After
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.
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.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Oakville Council Meeting 7-02-2008
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
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Oakville Cleanup Continues
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.
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.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Assistance to Oakville Area
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.
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
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.
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.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Removing the Flooring
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.
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.
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