13 Years Ago, The Great Iowa Flood of 2008 Began
It was 13 years ago today that the devastating Iowa floods of 2008 began leaving a costly damage path in their wake. Videos from that time remind us of just how bad it really was.
There's an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to the event that most in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids won't soon forget. It was June 8, 2008 when the Cedar River began to overwhelm everything in its path.
According to the video description, this was captured on June 10, 2008 in Waterloo. It shows many parts of Iowa and what the river looked like then.
The Associated Press shared video from 2008 showing how Cedar Rapids was very much under water.
On June 12, 2008, the Cedar River was estimated to be at 25.5 feet and still rising.
One week later on June 19, 2008, President George W. Bush would land in Iowa and survey the flood damage including a press conference in Cedar Rapids.
The economic damage from the flooding that year were immense causing the loss of over 6,000 jobs based on Wikipedia. Flooding of landmarks like the Paramount Theater and the African American Cultural Center and Museum just added to the misery.
Flooding of the Mississippi River that year also brought challenges to Burlington and other river towns.
The floods of June 2008 affected much more than just Iowa. Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota also had quite a toll from the water also.
The flooding began to subside later in June of 2008 into the beginning of July. Still, 13 years later there are still remnants and memories of how our waters became our enemies during that event.