Evangelical minister Pat Robertson has claimed sources have told him there was an explosion at the levee in Des Moines immediately before the levee was breached and flooded the city.
Robertson, founder of the Christian network, The 700 Club, said, “I heard from a very reliable source who saw a 15 foot deep crater under the levee breach. It may have been blown up to destroy the Irish part of town and keep the French part dry.”
Tensions were raised further during a live television broadcast Friday night to raise money for the rebuilding process in Iowa. Film star Will Smith was appearing in a segment with outspoken Irish musician Bono, lead singer of the band U2. Bono stopped reading from the teleprompter and issued a rambling statement about his how he is donating his own money to relief efforts, particularly to provide colored glasses to everyone in the city. While Will Smith remained silent and looked a bit confused, Bono concluded by saying, “George Bush doesn’t care about Irish people.”
Earlier this week we featured a photo taken of a very ominous-looking cloud just above Lori Mehmen’s farm. A reader pointed us to a home video shot of the same storm system from a different angle. Every since I was a child I’ve loved severe storms. Take a look.
Last Tuesday, Lori Mehmen looked out her front door in Orchard, Iowa and this is what she saw. She had a digital camera handy, and somehow managed to take this photo before crapping her pants and taking cover. This, my friends, is why always having a camera nearby is helpful. Oh, and no one was injured during this tornado, fortunately. Gizmodo
Buildings and debris are seen floating in the Cedar River against a railroad bridge Saturday, June 14, 2008, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Days after it rose out of its banks on its way to record flooding in Cedar Rapids, the Cedar River has forced at least 24,000 people from their homes, emergency officials said Saturday. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – The dark, filthy water that flooded Iowa’s second-largest city finally started to recede Saturday after forcing 24,000 people to flee, but those who remained were urged to cut back on showering and flushing to save the last of their unspoiled drinking water.
A sandbagging siege saved the last of the city’s four collection wells from contamination by the record flood. But officials warned that if people didn’t cut back the water will run out within three to four days.
“Water is still our primary concern,” said Pat Ball, the city’s utilities director. “We’re still using water at a greater rate than we’re producing.”
More than 400 city blocks and 3,900 homes were flooded in Cedar Rapids, where early estimates put property damage at $736 million, according fire department spokesman Dave Koch.
While the Cedar River ebbed in hard-hit Cedar Rapids, a levee breach in the state capital of Des Moines flooded a neighborhood of more than 200 homes, a high school and about three dozen businesses.
In Iowa City, more than 200 homes were evacuated because of the flooded Iowa River, expected to crest Monday or Tuesday. People filled thousands of sandbags at the University of Iowa but officials were conceding some buildings to the expected flooding.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The Cedar River poured over its banks here Thursday, forcing the evacuation of nearly 4,000 homes, causing a railroad bridge to collapse and leaving cars underwater on downtown streets.
Officials estimated that 100 blocks were underwater in Cedar Rapids, where several days of preparation could not hold back the rain-swollen river. Rescuers had to use boats to reach many stranded residents, and people could be seen dragging suitcases up closed highway exit ramps to escape the water.
Gives a good, up-close perspective of the area immediately after the tornado moved on. Full story below video.
Tornado kills four at US scout camp
Published: Thursday, 12 June 2008, 7:47AM
Four people have been killed and up to 40 injured when a tornado ripped through a boy scout camp in the US state of Iowa.
More than 120 scouts and leaders were staying at the Little Sioux camp near Des Moines when the tornado struck.
They had been attending the annual Pohuk Pride week-long junior leader training event at the 1,800-acre ranch, which has four cabin shelters, a 15-acre lake, a rifle range and six hiking trails.
Iowa Governor Chet Culver said: “We are profoundly saddened…our heart goes out to all of the families and the children affected by this horrific tragedy.”
At least two tornado warnings were issued for the Little Sioux area before the twister struck. However, state officials said they did not know if there were any warning sirens operating at the camp.
The twister was one of more than 30 moving across eastern Kansas into Nebraska, Iowa and into Minnesota which were accompanied by baseball-sized hail and vicious winds, and came in addition to rampant flooding that has forced hundreds from their homes in Iowa.
In Kansas, at least two people died after tornadoes ripped through neighbour hoods in in the northeastern part of that state. One woman was found dead in the yard outside her home in Chapman and a man was later found dead outside a mobile home in Soldier.
The Kansas twisters injured dozens and destroyed at least 60 homes, authorities said.
Mr Culver has declared 54 of Iowa’s 99 counties disaster areas due to damage from the flooding and tornadoes.
And the violent weather is continuing in the region, with tornado watches issued for areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa and Kansas.
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