flooding

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What to Do With the Sandbags?
 What to Do With the Sandbags? 
Jun 24, 2008 8:32 AM CDT

What to Do With the Sandbags?

Less adrenaline, more toil ahead for Midwesterners

(Newser) - Sandbags were saviors for many in the Midwest flooding—but as the waters recede, the hefty lumps remain, often weighed down by all the toxins in the water, the Washington Post reports. Bags can weigh 60-80 pounds even when dry, so heaving one after another to the curb for pickup...

Midwest Braces for Mississippi Crest

River expected to hit high point today

(Newser) - Deluged midwesterners were preparing for tonight’s expected cresting of the Mississippi River, piling up sandbags to support levees, USA Today reports. Some residents have already moved to higher ground, while others are staying home to guard against looters. The river is likely to crest at a number of areas...

Ragtag Levees Leave Midwest Soaking

Locals and towns run disorganized barrier system

(Newser) - As the Midwest battles massive flooding, the New York Times looks at the region's patchwork of homemade levees—which fail to meet federal standards and tend to spring unexpected leaks. Bill Clinton's White House advised a uniform levy system 15 years ago, but the report was read and forgotten. “...

700 Missing as Typhoon Sinks Philippines Ferry

85 others killed amid 'massive flooding

(Newser) - A Philippines passenger ferry sank in a typhoon, leaving at least four known dead and some 700 missing, Reuters reports. A rescue ship arrived at the scene to find none of the missing, AP reports, and only three people were found alive in various villages. Some of them may have...

A Sandbagger Reflects
 A Sandbagger Reflects 
commentary
Jun 21, 2008 8:45 AM CDT

A Sandbagger Reflects

Iowa man remembers a day at the levee

(Newser) - Even when it proves futile, sandbagging is an experience with its own unique rewards, writes an Iowa resident in the New York Times. “Passing sandbags is a personal thing,” Joe Blair notes in an essay. “The line may be 300 feet long,” but for you, “...

City Rebuilds Flooded Gym for Gymnast
City Rebuilds Flooded Gym
for Gymnast
Jun 19, 2008 11:31 AM CDT

City Rebuilds Flooded Gym for Gymnast

US champion can't let anything distract her in Olympic trials

(Newser) - When storms inundated Shawn Johnson's hometown of West Des Moines, they also left a foot of water in her gym. But the 16-year-old couldn't use that as an excuse to take a break from workouts: The reigning world champion gymnast was preparing for this week’s Olympic trials, the Houston ...

Bush to Visit Flood-Battered Midwest

Political pressure mounts for major flood relief

(Newser) - President Bush will visit flood-hit Iowa today to inspect the damage and consult with officials, Reuters reports. The state, along with much of the Midwest, has suffered the worst flooding in at least 15 years. Millions of acres of farmland have been flooded. Pressure on politicians to provide relief is...

19 Levees Now Breached
 19 Levees Now Breached 
UPDATED
Jun 18, 2008 1:20 PM CDT

19 Levees Now Breached

More failures in Ill., Mo., swamp farmland

(Newser) - More levee breaks in Missouri and Illinois today put at 19 the number that have failed along the cresting Mississippi, Reuters reports, further swamping farmland. "They were lower level agricultural levees," said an Army Corps of Engineers spokesman. "We're also watching another seven levees that may overtop...

Food Prices Rising Along With Floodwaters

Thousands more of acres of farmland go under water today

(Newser) - Rising floodwaters in the Midwest spread over thousands more acres of farmland today, leading to record or near-record prices for corn, soybeans, and cattle and hog futures, Reuters reports. President Bush promised quick federal aid and will visit Iowa on Thursday. That's not enough for Sen. Robert Byrd of West...

Where's All the Climate-Change Finger-Pointing?
Where's All the Climate-Change Finger-Pointing?
OPINION
Jun 17, 2008 4:48 PM CDT

Where's All the Climate-Change Finger-Pointing?

No fun to say 'We told you so' amid record heat, deadly floods

(Newser) - With the recent rash of severe and terrifying weather events, Treehugger notes a distinct lack of environmentalists pointing to the changes as evidence of global warming. The green site gives five reasons for the absence, starting with the fact that it's no fun to say "I told you so....

A Million Flee Chinese Deluge
 A Million Flee Chinese Deluge 
Jun 16, 2008 4:24 AM CDT

A Million Flee Chinese Deluge

More flooding feared on Yellow River

(Newser) - More than a million Chinese have fled floods in the southern regions of the nation after some of the worst storms in decades. The deluge comes as China is reeling from a devastating earthquake. The situation is likely to get worse in the next few days with expected flooding along...

Earliest Monsoon Rains in Century Kill 23 in India

Thousands moved to higher ground

(Newser) - Monsoon rains pelted India two weeks early for the first time in over a century yesterday, killing at least 23 people, AP reports. Villagers died in floods, landslides and building collapses. Rescuers helped at  least 50,000 people in one district in Assam from flooded areas to higher ground, and...

Hundreds Flee Iowa City as River Crests

State should still plan for 'serious flooding,' governor warns

(Newser) - The Iowa River crested a foot and a half lower than expected today, but Iowa City officials still ordered hundreds of families to evacuate, the AP reports. Iowa’s governor, with 83 of his 99 counties still disaster areas, cautioned the state’s southeastern region to expect “major and...

Flood Recedes, But Only 1 Well Remains

Cedar Rapids restricts water use for next few days

(Newser) - Floodwaters receded today after 24,000 people fled Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but only one well is uncontaminated to service the city, CNN reports. Officials say it will run down if people take showers and flush toilets over the next 3 or 4 days. "Water is still our primary concern,...

Floods Breach Des Moines Levee
 Floods Breach
 Des Moines Levee 
Jun 14, 2008 11:07 AM CDT

Floods Breach Des Moines Levee

Authorities call for mandatory evacuation of area

(Newser) - Floodwaters breached a levee and a temporary barrier today near a residential neighborhood in Des Moines, forcing authorities to call for a mandatory evacuation of 270 homes, the AP reports. “There’s not anything else we can do,” said a city official. Storms throughout the region have killed...

Grain Prices Surge With Midwest Floods

Water inundating heartland expected to drive food, oil prices still higher

(Newser) - The floods inundating the Midwest are pushing grain prices to new highs, the Wall Street Journal reports. Corn prices jumped 10% to a record high last week as farmland flooded. The domino effects will hit the ethanol industry, hog farmers, and even owners of catfish ponds who rely on corn...

Even As Neb. Honors Fallen Scouts, Floods Pound Iowa

Hospital evacuated in downtown Cedar Rapids, where 100 blocks are submerged

(Newser) - “We have to make sure people remember," said a 13-year-old who pulled a dead fellow Boy Scout out of the rubble left by Wednesday's fatal tornado. Last night's vigil in Omaha, Neb., was among several for the four teens killed in the Iowa maelstrom; “This is probably...

Floodwaters Engulf Iowa's 'Flood-Proof' City

'500-year flood' swamps Cedar Rapids' defenses

(Newser) - The Cedar River has burst its banks and deluged Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the Des Moines Register reports. About 9,000 people have been evacuated—including more than 170 from a hospital—and most of the city's downtown is under water. The river is still rising and is expected to crest...

Levees Crumbling, Midwest Struggles to Stem Tide

Aging infrastructure is barely coping with severe weather

(Newser) - The worst flooding in 15 years has exposed some serious vulnerabilities in the Midwest's aging infrastructure, the Chicago Tribune reports. Levees, bridges, and dams, some a century old, are barely coping with severe storms—while some are collapsing completely. Dikes and levees broke in several states last week after torrential...

Midwest Storms Threaten Worst Flooding in 15 Years

Communities work to repair damage from weekend waters

(Newser) - As climbing rivers knocked out an Iowa bridge and flooded Illinois farms, communities along the Mississippi River are bracing for what could be its biggest overflow in 15 years, the AP reports. The National Weather Service warned of crests of 10 feet above flood stage and higher over the next...

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