Results tagged “cedar rapids” from DesMoinesIst

Here's how things still looked in Cedar Rapids just a couple of weeks ago. We can't forget that our neighbors still need help recovering. Things are getting better -- these photos mainly show damage, not the houses that have been rebuilt in many cases right next door -- but there's still a long way to go.

An interesting article appearing in the latest edition of Architectural Record documents the damage done to several buildings in eastern Iowa that were designed by prominent architects. They include a Cedar Rapids bank designed by Louis Sullivan and a house by Frank Lloyd Wright that sits in Charles City. A campaign to salvage the Wright-designed home is already underway.

Obviously, the flooding and evacuations in Des Moines have been bad news, but judging from the photos, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City appear to have gotten it much worse. Iowa City is in far worse shape than in 1993, which at the time was thought to be the worst of all possible scenarios. Eastern Iowa has been losing power plants (in Iowa City and in Vinton), and even though the floodwaters are falling around Iowa's second city, drinking-water supplies are at risk. Des Moines, by comparison, has had some levee breaches and localized flooding, but the overall effects seem to be more limited than in I-380 corridor.

Those wishing to help from out of town ought to consult the Des Moines-area Red Cross and United Way.