Thanks for asking, Klaus. We expect to get a crest of 25.3 feet on the Cedar River Monday/Tuesday. It hit 31 feet in 2008, the record before that was 20 feet some 30 or 40 years before.

We're all okay, albeit pretty tired tonight. Spent the day packing up and loading up our warehouse and office onto trucks and trailers to move to a new location next week.

Tomorrow we will start building sandbag walls to protect our house.

Unlike 8 years ago, we got a lot more warning this time and have a lot better idea of what can happen.

Joe


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Dang Joe, I wish, (as do many folks here I bet), that I could come give you guys a hand. Prayers sent for you and the community's safety. Rest when you can and no "fretting" only action!


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Joe you said to a new location is that going to be a temporary move or not. Hope all will be ok with you and all of your merchandise, it would be hard to move it all. If I was closer I would come and help you move.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

We were scheduled to move into a new office and find a new warehouse in March. The city of Cedar Rapids was buying out commercial properties by the river as part of its river protection plan. So, instead of doing it over several weeks in late February when our season winds down, we did it in two days, Friday and yesterday. And today we built a flood wall around the southwest corner of our house which would otherwise flood our basement with about five feet of water Tuesday morning. Here are a few photos.

So, we moved the office to temporary digs until we can get a permanent site ready. And the warehouse I found will work for us permanently. It has been a long, long several days but we are blessed with great friends and neighbors and with their help we got 'er done.

Joe


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

That's a lot of sandbags, my goodness. I hope the river has crested and it's all over soon.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

It should crest at a little over 23 feet tonight/tomorrow morning. At least that's the latest forecast, down from 25.5 feet which they had been forecasting a few days ago for tonight.

The wall is built from heavy oak pallets threaded through t-fence posts, heavy filament-reinforced plastic sheeting over the pallets, sand bags piled up against the plastic and then plastic brought up over the outside of the wall. 2x4s are anchored to brace against the concrete foundation or 8x8 porch posts.

It should hold and is likely overkill for what we will end up getting, but then again, last time in 2008 it rose about 8 feet in just a few hours and all above the forecasted crest. Figuring out how water spreads and rises when it gets this big, is pretty hard.

Good news is the Oct/Nov issue is printed and heading out from the printer today and tomorrow. Other good news is we are ready this time for the water.

Joe

Joe


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

What's the latest from the water front, Joe? I hope you didn't have to suffer any damage!


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

We did not get any floodwater in the house or business. We moved the office and warehouse and are still getting settled in the new sites. And yesterday we hauled about 800 sandbags weighing 30 to 70 pounds away from the house. Soon we should be permanently protected from the flood when we do new landscaping ehich will include a wall/berm. Thanks for asking, Klaus.

Joe


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

That's sure good news, Joe. Having lived through the Rapid City Flood in 1972 that killed 275 people, we know about floods! We had NO warning when the water came down our canyon.....just grab the dogs and run up the hillside.

God bless.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum