Highway 99 Culvert

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A tribute video showing the sandbagging then flooding.

Moving Dad's Shed

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

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

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

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

Inspection Results

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

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

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

Foundations - How to Help

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.