18 June 2008

Updates from Lt Col Mercer Richardson, NCR/DC

18 June Update

Things have changed rapidly. Some folks are checking out their houses, I-380 bridge over the Iowa River was opened yesterday, the River bridges are above water and should be opened up shortly, Water use has gone to an odd/even limited use (No lawn sprinklers or cars washing, etc) and that should improve as soon as the revamped water pumps are reinstalled to day. Guard cannot air lift them back but the City has a barge method of getting them there. No report yet on Col John Lalla's house where one of our Micom HF radios and power supply may have been flooded. Other than that we are doing OK. We are now supporting the Red Cross to distribute water and clean up kits from the Westdale Mall staging area in the evenings. After the river completely drops, we will need a decent rain to wash out the city landscape but we are not yet praying for rain. Your are doing great with those updates on the web page. The flying units have been making daily photo runs to keep the state updated on the water levels and observable damage.


Cedar Rapids Status Report as of Tuesday Morning, 17 June 2008:

We have experienced the highest flood waters that anyone has seen in downtown Cedar Rapids. All bridges in the city were flooded and closed on the Cedar River except the I-380 interstate bridge which is higher than the tops of the City buildings on Mays Island in the river. All others were flooded over. The railroad bridge between Mays Island and Czech Village collapsed with loaded cars that were holding down the bridge. Water level on the East side rose so high that it went over the railroad tracks near the 5 Seasons Convention center which left Quaker Oats plant and the first floor of Mercy Hospital under water. Patients were moved to other facilities from Mercy because the waters threatened to cut off electricity to the building.

By the time on Sunday morning when I reported for Security duty at the City EOC, the water had started dropping and a couple of spots on the First street bridge on Mays Island could be seen. The bridges further down stream were not yet above water but were when I went home that evening. City offices that were in the Mays Island Veterans building were moved to the EOC training room. The SW side of town has lost electrical power because the plant was flooded for that area. Interstate 380 South of Cedar Rapids is blocked off because the Iowa River bridge was under water but its big trouble spot is about 300 yards South of the bridge where the roads pass through a low gully and keep the road flooded.

It will not be opened up until the Iowa River falls lowering the water level in the Coralville Reservoir. It has started falling but the river is still spilling over the Dam relief spillway--but steadily going down. Should be down to the spillway by Friday afternoon. Maybe after the flood is over they will find even more dinosaur fossils in the run off basin. We have been on water rationing since last Friday because one of the City well areas went under water but yesterday the City was able to get into the site, remove some of the pumps on top of the wells and the Guard CH-47's flew them out to the heavy motor companies to be cleaned and repaired. The first one should go back into service today and hopefully one or two each day afterwards.

With the help of nearby towns, Water system capacity has reached over 50% as of Sunday afternoon. We are no longer held to drinking water only use and are now on an odd/even street address system which will allow residents to shower, wash hands (lots of non water hand sanitizer being used here) and maybe do some minimum dish washing (lots of paper plates and towels being used here also). We captured some rain water and used to for infrequent toilet flushes and misc non food uses.

Folks are better off now that there is a weather drying trend. The Guard has flown/Drove in some big generators for the use on the SW side to get some businesses and City facilities back on line. The entire City Government and other agencies are presently moving into the vacant Westdale Mall stores and may be there long term.

As the river recedes, the City/County House inspection Strike Teams are checking out house, store and other building to determine if it is safe for owners to start clean up. There are dangers from gas, electrical connection that were under water and just nasty bio-hazard flood waters all around. There are too few teams and too many folks affected. Some basement walls have already collapsed because the water was pumped out too quickly. In the ex-flooded are, the ground is super saturated. The Guard (both Army & AF) are really helping out and keeping the flooded areas secure. The Guard troops are housed in the Rockwell Collins Fitness Center and while employees can use the gym gear, only the Guard folks can shower there. Thanks to the Guard's tedious night patrols, there has been very little looting but the Police are quick to respond in the couple of instances when someone tried.

Plenty of Federal Agencies available at the EOC including special mission folks. The EMA folks are talking about stopping the 24 hour EOC representation and letting the agencies operate from their temporary areas because we still have internet, landline phone and cell phone service all around.

CAP units in the area are actively engaged in the response. The Cedar Rapids Senior Squadron has been manning the EOC security desk along with members of East Iowa Cadet Squadron and a few of us NCR Reps. Of course the NCR Admin Officer (Capt Sue Grant) is working full time at the Red Cross and has not stopped running since the first tornado struck a couple of weeks ago.

Many photo flights have been made and we are tasked by FAX frag order directly from the State SEOC where the IAWG commander is located coordinating our efforts. The CR Senior squadron is flying the photo missions. The SDIS aircraft are flying and photographing levees, water plants, dangerous chemical plants and bridges and dams. These are put on the IAWG FTP site for the EOCs to view right after landing. The SDIS Satphone connection from the aircraft directly has been a disappointment because it does not connect very often and usually not at all.

The good news is that the Iowa Governor keeps seeing CAP uniforms (Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Burlington and the state SEOC) and is getting an eye full of our aerial surveillance results. He has a staff member checking into our state funding dilemma.

Our ALE HF radio at the EMA building was cut off for the duration because when it performs its sounding transmission, it is heard loud and clear over the EOC speaker system. We are looking into another site that will allow us to set up a proper antenna and not be cut off just when we are needed the most. Use of the ISR radios inside the EOC by the CAP security folks was successful.

We had to watch the back door also where the Energy company strike teams operate because they bypass the EOC Security desk. Our guard is there to look for non-energy company folks trying to get in and directs them to the sign in desk.

The sun is shining and the city is recovering one step at a time. A lot of our neighbors are helping and we are progressing one step at a time.

Our success will be the accumulation of all of our baby steps on the road to recovery.