Firefight911 Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Iowa is getting pummeled and the rivers are about to crest per the local news. Anyone hear from John lately??? Doing OK??? Our prayers and thoughts are with the entire region being hit with the weather. Link to comment
Huzband Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Amen to that, & I'll add prayers & thoughts to the Boy Scouts & their families. Link to comment
BFish Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 yes...good post phil...hope all is well. Link to comment
Whip Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 I just got an email from h-BONE......I guess he's fine. Whip Link to comment
SageRider Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 I just got an email from h-BONE......I guess he's fine. Whip Of course the email said... Save me, I'm Drowning!!! Seriously, I hope all is well for the 'Bone and any that may be involved. Link to comment
Firefight911 Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 I could REALLY use him right about now!!!! Link to comment
Whip Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 I just talked to the beer delivery guy. He's fine. Doin his usual volunteer work for all the people that need help in the area. He'll tell y'all all about it later today. Whip Link to comment
eddd Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Just as long as his email wasn't sent from a makeshift raft floating near Hannibal, MO. Keep dry, bONE! Link to comment
motoguy128 Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 I'm taking a shift walking our levee protecting my workplace that was built after '93. My house fortunately, is in town which is located up on the bluff. Time will tell if this is worse than '93 for our region. It's clearly beyond imagination for the Cedar Rapids area. We're at least much better preparred this time for such severe flooding. We should be OK as long and the loonies don't crash their cars into the levees to get bakc at their girlfriends.... like some idiot in '93. I'm pretty sure he's still in federal prison. This time, Homeland Security would just call them a terrorist and lock-em up indefinitely. The other bad news will probably be corn prices. Every levee that breaks will notch prices up a little higher. As Corn prices rise, food prices rise. As through they weren't high enough already. Many farmers around here have still only planted maybe 50% of their crops. It's been to wet. Link to comment
hANNAbONE Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 I could REALLY use him right about now!!!! hELLO - tEAM fLUBBER... well - it's a tick crazy here just now - I just came back from a Sunday thru late Wednesday with 50-60 kids to go to the TORNADO ravaged city of Parkersburg. Cleanup etc. has been underway since Monday Memorial Day. Stayed in Cedar Falls (Univ. Northern Iowa town - in a Cath. Church St Pat's 7 blocks from the Cedar River) We'd drive over and do our thing all day and then drive back for evening festivities. That is until Tuesday...when the flood waters started to show themselves and the very downtown area we'd drive thru to get to PBurg - were completely threatened AS WAS OUR ST PAT'S CHURCH. So - we, the ones helping the refugees...BECAME refugees too - having to lift our bedding and stuff from the Cedar Falls St Pat's and take them to ST PAT'S in Parkersburg. C W A Z Y Before we left tho' once packed and ready - we hiked it up to the swirling waters of the Cedar River to aid in their sandbagging effort. F R E E K I N ' U N B E L I E V A B L E Our last day Wednesday was mostly uneventful 'cept for a few drops of water. Fo all these resilient Iowans have been thru they still muster a smile and handshake...heads up and pointing forward. Tough Crowd. I left changed - I've seen tornado and straight wind damage...for +20 years I was a county mutual insurance sec'y manager for Prairie Farmers Insurance...so was my father, so was my great grand father....too long a story - but I've never seen anything like this - and I've seen plenty. I'm leaving now to go to my home town of Oskaloosa, Iowa - they too are flooding. Prayer is needed for the folks in the lowlands here in Des Moines...but they REALLY need the prayer for Cedar Rapids, Iowa City (home of my beloved Hawkeyes..!) and points east. They have enough water that they've closed I-80 east of ICity and diverting traffic up I-35 to highway 20...guess what..then you drive near Parkersburg and go thru Cedar Falls/Waterloo. God be funnie sometimes. Keep the prayers coming -- hec, in 3 weeks I'm outta here and heading to the "UN"..can't wait. Thank you all for your prayer and concerns for us. And yes, you can now start saving for even more costly food and such due to the farmers not getting into the fields. C W A Z Y, I say.! Link to comment
George Brown Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Prayer is needed for the folks in the lowlands here in Des Moines...but they REALLY need the prayer for Cedar Rapids, Iowa City (home of my beloved Hawkeyes..!) and points east. They have enough water that they've closed I-80 east of ICity and diverting traffic up I-35 to highway 20...guess what..then you drive near Parkersburg and go thru Cedar Falls/Waterloo. God be funnie sometimes. Keep the prayers coming -- hec, in 3 weeks I'm outta here and heading to the "UN"..can't wait. Thank you all for your prayer and concerns for us. And yes, you can now start saving for even more costly food and such due to the farmers not getting into the fields. C W A Z Y, I say.! You got them man! Thanks and God Bless for all the hard work you are doing. Also, have a safe ride to the UN - you deserve it. Link to comment
Husker Red Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Dang, our thoughts and prayers are with you. I really feel for you. I have some idea how hard cleanup after this will be. Back in the 80's my small hometown in northeast Nebraska flooded when the levee suddenly broke. We lived on a hill, but we spent weeks helping other families clean up. To help others visualize the problem, look around your house and imagine everything below 5 feet standing in muddy, nasty water, basements completely full of water. Sorting through your posessions afterward is heartbreaking for those families. PM sent. Mike Link to comment
hANNAbONE Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Got'cha mIKE -- thanks for the message.!! Link to comment
Boffin Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Got'cha mIKE -- thanks for the message.!! Good to see you posting 'bONE Andy Link to comment
Huzband Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 To help others visualize the problem, look around your house and imagine everything below 5 feet standing in muddy, nasty water, basements completely full of water. Sorting through your posessions afterward is heartbreaking for those families. Mike Living in Floriduh, where much of the state is below sea level, I don't have to imagine it. I've seen it! Link to comment
motoguy128 Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 The National Guard showed up this afternoon at my work to help sandbagging. The predictions have the water right at the top of the levee by Wed. I walked it today and it's only 2-3 feet from the top. Pretty impressive sight.... although nothing like CR I'm sure. They shutdown the corn mill (a little less corn syrup on the market... that should help prices) and are pulling all the high value assets (pumps, motors, etc.) just in case. I moved some computers equipment and some documents to the second florr of my office, above where the waterline would be. I had my wife pick up some extra bottled water just in case. I think our water plant will hold, but better to be preparred. Link to comment
hANNAbONE Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 a lITTLE bETTER news from Dull Moan -- the waters are going down and the Iowa Cubs - (triple "A" affiliate of the ChicCubs) had a double header yesterday and another one today.! So - things are on the mend locally. Cedar Rapids and Iowa City...not so good...in fact.really really bad. Something like 24,000. homeowners displaced...bad deal. Link to comment
Twisties Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 a lITTLE bETTER news from Dull Moan -- the waters are going down and the Iowa Cubs - (triple "A" affiliate of the ChicCubs) had a double header yesterday and another one today.! So - things are on the mend locally. Cedar Rapids and Iowa City...not so good...in fact.really really bad. Something like 24,000. homeowners displaced...bad deal. John, If someone were to make a donation would you recommend the Red Cross, or are there some local groups working that deserve a mention? Please indicate if there is anything else that we can do besides sending cash. Thanks, Jan Link to comment
Mike Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Thanks for the updates; I'm glad you're okay personally. Here in the Chicago area we've been getting our share of rain, but the really big stuff--the storms that have destroyed much of Iowa and Wisconsin--have largely skirted us to the north. However, my wife and I visited her mother in southwest Wisconsin this past weekend and the damage there, in largely rural areas, is pretty substantial. A great many fields look like lakes. Creeks and small rivers have swollen well beyond their banks and flooded thousands of acres of land. As a result, many roads remain impassable and a number of bridges appear to be badly damaged. In fact, a few days ago, after two consecutive deluges that each dumped five to six inches of rain, the authorities declared the entire county closed to traffic for a period of time. One of my wife's brothers works for the county highway department and has been working pretty much around the clock. Apart from damaged bridges and roads that have been washed away in places, they also have to contend with landslides from the bluffs that abut many county roads. In one location where a supersaturated hill slid over the road, they are removing debris that is 40 feet deep! As hard hit as this area is, it's by no means the worst. It's truly an amazing scene. Link to comment
hANNAbONE Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 a lITTLE bETTER news from Dull Moan -- the waters are going down and the Iowa Cubs - (triple "A" affiliate of the ChicCubs) had a double header yesterday and another one today.! So - things are on the mend locally. Cedar Rapids and Iowa City...not so good...in fact.really really bad. Something like 24,000. homeowners displaced...bad deal. John, If someone were to make a donation would you recommend the Red Cross, or are there some local groups working that deserve a mention? Please indicate if there is anything else that we can do besides sending cash. Thanks, Jan hEY jAN..thanks for your email - I would send it to the Salvation Army...they did the real stuff down south after Katrina...they are doing good things in Iowa also. Go to their website and request your donation to go to the Iowa fund....it'll get there Many thanks.!! See ya in a few weeks.! "UN" here I come.! Link to comment
hANNAbONE Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Iowa is getting pummeled and the rivers are about to crest per the local news. Anyone hear from John lately??? Doing OK??? Our prayers and thoughts are with the entire region being hit with the weather. Get the tissue ready....read on - I just received this email this morning From: Gayla Hoppenworth [] Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 4:08 PM To: mike@olih.org Subject: FW: The rainbow John Robert, Mike & FIA (*Faith in Action*) I would like to take this opportunity to thank your group for helping us out in getting ready a house for my mom and sister to move into. The volunteers were awesome and we truly appreciate their help. Below is an e-mail that my sister, who will be moving into the house with my mother and benefited from the help of your group, wrote. The outpouring of support and care from people all over is truly overwhelming. Goodness in the Hearts of people brings Beauty to the Soul of the world. LOVE AND BLESSINGS! Gayla and Kreg Hoppenworth -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From:] Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2008 5:24 PM To: Subject: The rainbow On May 25th, while fishing in Minnesota, we received a call letting us know that a tornado had touched down in my hometown of Parkersburg. I was with my sister, her husband and my mother. 45 minutes later we received another call letting us know that our homes were gone. We began the long drive home missing a turn that we have taken hundreds of times. At that point we decided to stop and pray. We prayed for all the victims of the tornado, we prayed for safe travel home and just that God would give us strength for what was to come. As we said our Amens we looked up and saw a full rainbow across the sky. That was our symbol of hope. Thankfully, our family members were safe and unharmed. However, our homes and vehicles were destroyed. We arrived to find our belongings strewn across our yard, our neighbors yards, pretty much across the entire block and beyond. Over the next week we had family, friends and volunteers arrive to pitch in. When I asked one young man why he decided to help, he replied, "I'm just being neighborly. I wanted to try to help any way I could." He had driven from Minnesota with a chainsaw and a determination to help. That week was filled with many such stories. Family members from surrounding counties arrived with trucks to help haul away what we could salvage of our belongings. Strangers from Home Depot carefully picking through the debris helping us search for our lost treasures. Friends with chainsaws and tractors aiding in cutting down our five huge oak trees. The gentleman, a complete stranger, in the laundry mat touched by our loss and handing my mom $25 to buy more quarters for our 16 loads of laundry. The National Guard patrolling the streets, trying to protect what was left of our belonging. Red Cross volunteers driving by with water, sunscreen & sandwiches just when we needed them. Hy-vee grilling up burgers so that we could have a hot meal. Friends asking, "what can we do to help? Do you need a place to stay?" A little old lady saying, "I can't help with physical labor, but I've been praying for you every day." Co-workers taking up a collection to give me gift cards to all of my favorite places. Friendships that were lost, rekindled. Donations of leftover Graduation cup cakes so we could have a sweet treat. That is just the beginning of how many blessings we have received during this tragedy. So to all my family, friends, co-workers and "honorary" neighbors from all over the country. Thank you!! You have came along just when we needed you. Lifting us up when our energy was flagging. Thank you for your time, effort, calls, prayers, gifts and donations. I've only shed a few tears over some irreplaceable momentos, but I choke up every time I think about the random acts of kindness I have received in the last few weeks. You will never how much it means to me. I am overwhelmed. I wish I could thank every person face to face that helped me these last few weeks. Thank you doesn't seem to be enough, but that is all I have to give at this point. So, please accept my sincere gratitude for EVERYTHING. Pass this along to anyone else you know has helped in any way with the disaster in Parkersburg. You have all been part of our rainbow. The symbol of hope after the storm. God Bless, Ginna VanderHolt Tornado Survivor THE RAINBOW There are days when the breeze that we all love, picks up speed and churns the clouds up above. The rain starts falling and then the hail begins. The winds gust with flying debris and fallen tree limbs. While you seek shelter, nature makes an eerie sound. You begin to think the entire world has come crashing down. You cry out to God asking him, "Why?" Then the sky clears up and the winds subside. Sunlight shines through, an arc of colors appears. You see the paintbrush of God, even through your tears. The rainbow is a covenant, a blessed hopeful sign. That after the storms will come much better times. ~G. VanderHolt Link to comment
Huzband Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 An amazing dose of reality & what's important. Thanks for sharing that with us, 'bONE. Link to comment
azkaisr Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Classically Worthy and shows that the world has a heck of a lot of great folks out there. Link to comment
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