Archive for June, 2008

Columbus Junction and Columbus City must boil their water. Bottled water is available at Columbus School from 3 to 5 p.m. today (Wednesday). Those with larger water containers can have those filled also.

The Skunk River in Brighton reportedly reached levels higher than in 1993. Here are some photos Andrew Schneider took late last week.

Do you have photos of flooding (especially in Washington, Keokuk, or Louisa County?) Send them to: news@kciiradio.com
Include the photographers name,when it was taken and what exactly it is a picture of.

(Andrew Schneider)

(Andrew Schneider)

(Andrew Schneider)

(Andrew Schneider)

(Andrew Schneider)

(Andrew Schneider)

These roads are now open in Washington County, previously closed due to flooding.

* Willow Ave north of 130th Street east of Riverside
* 130th Street east of old 218 southeast of Riverside
* 150th Street near the Johnson-Washington County line southeast of Riverside

Here is the County Secondary Roads Dept list of roads closed.

Reminder: Highway 22 east of Riverside is also still closed.

The United Methodist Church in Washington is putting together “flood buckets” with cleaning supplies to give to those affected; it’s $45 per bucket. Financial donations to purchase them or items to put in them are accepted.

Here is what they contain.

Drop off donations or call the church 653-5446.

Southeast Iowa flooding claims a life.

An earlier post indicated the Louisa County Sheriff’s office found the body of 35 year old Scott McCulley of Grandview after he had been reported missing; he was found Sunday afternoon on a search using boats. Autopsy results are still pending, but Sergeant Josh Helscher believes the cause of death is drowning.

These are numbers to call if you need assistance in Washington and Keokuk with damage assessment from flooding.

Sigourney: 641-622-2528

Washington: 319-653-3015

This information is from the City of Columbus Junction

To those wishing to make a cash donation please mail them to:

United Fund of Columbus Junction
P.O. Box 263
Columbus Junction, Iowa, 52738

Or you can drop them off to Nitza at the Community Development Center office in the New Civic Center across from City Hall or you can drop your check off at any of the two banks downtown Columbus Junction. Please mark your checks Flood Relief 2008.

Columbus Junction City Councilor Hal Prior has this announcement:

A day of sunshine after the darkness of record floods. Iowa National Guard Specialist E-4 Curtis Lloyd Wright, 3655 CRC, 1st Detachment and Danielle Ritter will be getting married early Thursday afternoon (Exact time yet to be determined) on the Highway 92 viaduct in Columbus Junction, Iowa overlooking the scenic flood waters of the Iowa River. Both the Bride and Groom are from Macksburg, Iowa. The Groom is currently on deployment in Columbus Junction for Flood duty. The National Guard Chaplin will be performing the ceremony.

Columbus Junction City has collected many pictures of flooding there. this is one of them:

Find more photos documenting Columbus Junctions flood and flood fighting efforts:
http://www.cscolumbus.org/Flood%20photos.htm

The Red Cross Shelter set up in the Wapello Baptist Church –Solid Rock, 14014 Locust Street needs volunteers to assist people with registering for FEMA online or by telephone. 11:30 to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m….Also people are needed to help serve meals and clean up….Other people are needed at Solid Rock at the information desk or to help organize and stock supply rooms, register new shelter residents. Just answer general questions people might have.

Call and set up a time at 319-523-5320

This information from Kathy Vance at Louisa County ISU Extension

Kathy Vance from the Louisa County Extension Office has this update on Columbus Junction:

>Dr. Wever, Integrity Dental, will be working from Dr. Helscher’s office in Washington for the next 3-4 weeks.

>Dr. Englert has temporarily relocated to the former City Hall in Columbus City.

>Hy-Vee Drug Store is operating out of their Wapello location.

>Columbus Medical Clinic will set up a temporary location at Roundy Elementary starting June 20th.

>The Community Health Center does not yet have a temporary location.

>The sale of prepared foods and beverages is suspended in Columbus Junction until the State Government approves the water system for commercial food preparation. But 92 Roadhouse is open.

Washington County farmers will be eligible to apply for low-interest Emergency Loans.

Producers in Washington and other counties contiguous to the presidential disaster designated counties are eligible for these low-interest Emergency Loans.

SEE DETAILS

FSA Emergency loan funds may be used to:

* Restore or replace essential property;

* Pay all or part of production costs associated with the disaster year;

* Pay essential family living expenses;

* Reorganize the farming operation; and

* Refinance certain debts.

Those in other presidential disaster declared counties may be eligible for the Emergency Conservation Program or ECP.

Robin Dietrich of Winfield is hoping to help out those displaced from Oakville.

Twenty Oakville families she says are staying at trailer court in Wapello, and they need household items:

-cleaning supplies
-toilet paper
-toiletries
-paper towels
-bath towels

Also, they could use two more refrigerators.

Call her at 319-257-6856, or bring items to 405 South Locust in Winfield, and Robin will deliver them.

If donations of food and other supplies made to the National Guard unit stationed at the Washington Armory remain after they finish their duties, it will be given to flood victims . Ann Moore from the 134th family readiness group says that they don’t know when that will be, but eventually if there are things left over, they will in turn make that donation to local people affected.

Columbus Junction City Clerk Julie Heindel says that drinking water will be passed out again to residents today from 3 to 5 p.m. at Columbus School; they may be on the other side of the school today. Heindel says that residents are also able to bring in their own large containers to be filled.

Below is from Patrick O’Malley, ISU Extension Horticulturist:

If the flooding is from primarily pooled rainwater they should be alright following previously sent precautions. However if it is from river, creek, or other source that may be contain raw sewage such as untreated release from city wastewater plants, septic systems, or livestock facilities, the general recommendation is to avoid using those garden areas for 90 days.

Washington County Secondary Roads announces these roads are now open to traffic:

* Locust Street in the city of Coppock
* Nutmeg Ave and Poplar Blvd southeast of Kalona

Want the full list of county roads closed and other road information? County roads website

Jenny Vinzant, Associate Donor Resource Consultant from Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center has this related announcement:

Columbus Junction is scheduled to host a drive from 1:30 – 6:30 p.m. tomorrow (June 18th) at the Legion Hall. However, the flooding has caused the Legion to be utilized as a sandbagging station and we were left to find an alternate location. The Columbus City Masonic Lodge has graciously allowed MVRBC to use the building in order to continue blood collections.

Drive Specifics:

– Date: Wednesday, June 18th

– Hours: 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

– Location: Columbus City Masonic Lodge – Corner of Columbus and Market Streets – Columbus City, IA 52737

– Goal: 40 units of blood

*As the flood waters have challenged our coordination and planning of this drive, we are relying on walk-in donors to fill our time slots and meet our goal; no need to call to schedule an appointment.

Thanks,

Jenny Vinzant

Associate Donor Resource Consultant

Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center

KCII would like to see your photos from local flooding, especially Louisa, Keokuk, and Washington Counties. E-mail them to news@kciiradio.com; please include the photographer’s name, the location, and the date it was taken.

Video shot of a wide Iowa River Sunday morning east of the Riverside Casino

(Ben Stanton/KCII)