original image of Iowa this week, courtesy of CR Artist
Tragedy Strikes Twice
Iowa has had an excrutiatingly rough week and many residents are still playing a waiting game to see when the river in their area will crest. The state is still reeling from the loss of four boy scouts killed in a tornado and many many people have fled their flooded homes while others brace for the rising water.
Cedar Rapids Realtor Weighs In
I spoke to Kam Hubbard, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Realtor who expressed that many people can’t work because where he is, the highways are blocked and the only direction anyone can travel is west. Kam said the cleanup has not yet begun and will not begin until the waters recede and in his case, the river hasn’t yet crested, so they’re all in a holding pattern with no internet or digital cable services (although I could hear Kam’s television in the background and he noted he’s one of the lucky ones with satellite tv)!
$700 Million in Damages
Kam shared with me that it may be weeks before internet is restored and cleanup begins, and many businesses are shut down. The damages so far are estimated to total $700 million. Yes, seven hundred million dollars and there is a potential for more rain this week.
Please Help
Kam wanted everyone to know that he is grateful for the support and that his state is hurting. Although he doesn’t have specific needs at this time, he asked that we support the local Red Cross and will let us know when things dry up a bit and if Kam, any of his team members or any of his clients have detailed needs.
The Real Estate community online is big, it’s strong and we always have been and always will be here for each other, regardless of our ideological differences. Please take a moment to donate to Red Cross, even if it’s only a few dollars- Iowa thanks you.
Chris Lengquist
June 16, 2008 at 6:59 am
I had the honor of meeting Kam while in Phoenix for Bloodhound. I wish him and his fellow Iowans the best.
Mack in Atlanta
June 16, 2008 at 7:36 am
My heart goes out to the citizens in Iowa as well as the other mid western states that have been pounded by rain and tornadoes. We could use some of the rain in metro Atlanta, just not to the extent that has hit Iowa recently.
Ken Smith in Chicago
June 16, 2008 at 11:11 am
This isn’t just an Iowa issue, it’s effecting many other states in the areas. We have multiple cities with homes, schools, churches, under water in IL and WI also (sure there are more). Iowa has gotten the media attention as it has the highest levels of water, but other areas need help just as bad. A homeowner that is without access to their home doesn’t care if their home is under 1 foot or 4 foot of water, either way the home needs major repairs and everything inside is lost.
Please remember that many effected by these floods don’t have and never would have thought of flood insurance. The repairs of their homes and replacing of their lost belongings is going to come out of their pockets and from the help of charities. I hope that everyone can open their hearts and wallets for those effected by these floods.
Benn Rosales
June 16, 2008 at 11:24 am
Ken, you’re so right, and we certainly do not want to cherry pick who we help, we simply just want to help bring more attention to this horrific situation.
Ken Smith
June 16, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Benn I just got off the phone with a water engineer that works for a US base charity. He normally is in Africa or some other 3rd world country trying to provide clean drinking water supplies. His charity has already mobilized in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Indiana. From their estimates and what officials on the ground are saying this will end up being worse then Katrina in terms of damage.
The small amount of flooding in the Chicagoland area is minor compared to what other states are facing. But it is big enough that any other year it would have made national news. Really wish there was a good way to put it in perspective, but there isn’t a good way to do so.
When talking to the engineer we discussed that when there is a local emergency like this that there is always less money raised then when it’s a 3rd world country. People just assume that the victims will have insurance or some other way to cover the losses and that just isn’t true. These people need our help and they will need it to continue over an extended period of time. This will take years of rebuilding efforts.
Kam Hubbard
June 19, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Thanks for the kind words of concern. The recovery process is underway. For current updates on the recovery efforts go to this website: http://www.corridorrecovery.org