Earth Equity News

In Midwest, 'Some of the Worst Flooding Since Katrina,' Says FEMA Chief. By P.J. Huffstutter, LATimes, June 16, 2008. "At a time when 83 of Iowa's 99 counties have been declared disaster areas by the state and tens of thousands have been evacuated from their homes, most people here [Cedar Rapids] are fed up with anything related to water. State officials said Sunday that 36,000 Iowans have been evacuated in 11 counties. Even as the waters slowly receded in Cedar Rapids on Sunday -- and thousands of evacuees waited for hours at checkpoint lines for the chance to return to their homes and see the damage -- the rivers were still rising elsewhere. In Iowa City, at least 15 buildings on the University of Iowa campus, including one designed by architect Frank Gehry, were flooded and more than 500 residents were forced to leave their homes. Though the river crested Sunday at just over 31 feet, lower than expected, city officials said it would be at least two weeks before the rivers fell back to pre-flood levels. In Keithsburg, Ill., 700 residents were reportedly being forced out of their homes after levees crumbled. R. David Paulison, the FEMA administrator... told CNN's 'Late Edition' that this was 'some of the worst flooding I've seen since Katrina.'"