By Michael Swanger, Matt Miller and Jared Curtis

So much for the 100-year flood. Memories of 1993 came rushing back last week for many residents of Greater Des Moines as the amount of water flowing into Des Moines from the Saylorville Lake reservoir doubled, equaling 1993 rates, after U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lowered the temporary barrier June 10, releasing billions of gallons of water that swamped some businesses and residents along the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers.

Rising waters from Saylorville, coupled with periodic heavy rainfall in central and northern Iowa, filled swollen rivers forcing state officials and the governor to declare Polk County a disaster area; city officials to evacuate residents in high-risk areas; school officials to cancel classes; some businesses to close downtown; entertainment events to be cancelled; civic leaders to call upon volunteers to help fill sandbags; and public works, police and fire crews to work overtime to maintain cities.

“It took a little while, but communication between the county and city has been great,” said Des Moines Police Sergeant and Public Information Officer Vince Valdez, who last week was holding three press conferences a day. “The Emergency Operation Center where everyone is processing information has been a well oiled machine.”

The scene at the Birdland Park neighborhood was eerily calm last Thursday as volunteers helped fill sandbags throughout the night to build a levee. A breach in the levee on Saturday eventually forced residents from their homes. But on Thursday, cars, trucks and U-Hauls weaved in and out of barricades, as residents were either packing up their belongings or sandbagging their property. Some were even relaxing on their porch, watching all the commotion. For those who reside near the Des Moines River it was a familiar scene as they watched water breach the city’s dirt levee.

“We’re just trying to get everything organized,” said Leann Folkers, who lives and runs her business, Little Folks Childcare, from her home at the corner of Saylor Road and Guthrie Avenue. “The city told us that the water would reach four feet higher than the levee. They weren’t forcing us to leave, but they advised it.”

Folkers’ husband Dave was sandbagging the bottom of their house with family and local neighbors. Trucks were constantly going by, heading to the top of Union Park, to pick up sandbags.

“Our house was rebuilt after the floods of ’93. The main level is higher up, but a lot of our neighbors are lower to the ground, so we will see what happens,” Folkers said. “I sent my youngest daughter to a safer place and we are going to stay here and ride this out.”

Birdland Park was one of the causalities of budget shortfalls after the floods of 1993 and didn’t receive the levee the residents hoped for. Residents sandbagged the levee 15 years ago, and it held according to Folkers, but it flooded around them, which happened again last weekend.

“The city has been out here working, trying to be proactive,” Folkers said. “But what can you do? You can’t control Mother Nature.”

The water had almost crept to the top of the dirt levee, but it didn’t scare Folkers.

“We are staying here,” she said. “We have an inflatable boat and our neighbor has a canoe, so if we need to, we will paddle out of here.”

Folkers was not worried about losing her home, but she has been losing money as her childcare business was shut down last week.

“It’s been pretty crazy around here,” Folkers said. “Dave has been walking to the levee and checking it every few hours, and we have been glued to the TV watching reports. Only time will tell now.”

Another resident at the same intersection, Jeannie Kern, was standing watching the water rise.

“It’s insane. My dad lived here in ’93, so I have been through this before,” Kern said. “We’re not leaving yet. We started sandbagging our garage and we’re hoping we will be OK.”

Kern, like most residents, thought the levee should have left them in a better situation.

“I really think the city should have done more then just bringing in some dirt,” she said.

Still, others took the flooding in stride. Even though the water was creeping its way uphill, the Heritage Carousel was full of passengers, while nearby volunteers quickly filled sandbags.

“Even though it’s a bad situation, it has brought the neighborhood together,” Kern said.

“All of the neighbors are working hard,” Folkers said. “As soon as all of this is over, we’ll be having a huge block party.”

A party would be sweet music to Nate Niceswanger’s ears, owner of Zzz Records in the East Village, though he might have a few less albums to bring. While news of flooded rivers throughout Iowa dominated headlines last week, flooded basements throughout the metro proved to have a widespread effect on businesses and homes, too.

Niceswanger said he lost about 10,000 vinyl albums after the basement to his record shop flooded for the first time due to heavy rains saturating the ground. He estimated that he had about 15 inches of standing water last Wednesday in his basement, though the upstairs shop remained open. Next door, the restaurant Lucca had 38 inches of water in its basement as ovens floated downstairs.

“I spent 10 to 12 hours a day propping boxes up when we first got a trickle, then the next day we had all this water,” Niceswanger said. “When you get all that water and sewage backed up, you don’t want to wade through that, so we used a couple of smaller pumps. But it was a losing battle.”

Mike and Lori Behre of West Des Moines can relate to Niceswanger’s frustration. Last year, they spent thousands of dollars to have their home on 28th Street waterproofed after heavy rains caused some minor flooding in their basement. But last week, after another round of rain, some water returned and they had a third sump pump installed to handle the unwanted water.

“We had a perimeter system installed, but the ground was so saturated with water that it bypassed the system and got to the middle of the floor,” Mike Behre said. “I’m glad we didn’t lay carpet down there yet.”

Lori Behre said she and her husband tried to soak up the water with towels until waterproofing professionals could arrive.

“That’s all we did all day,” she said. “It was exhausting. You would no more than put a towel down and it was wet and you had to start all over again.”

Mike Behre said he and his family weren’t alone in dealing with a wet basement.

“Everybody I’ve dealt with at work has told me they have had some water. It doesn’t matter how much you pay for your house, it happens to everyone,” he said.

Numerous flooded basements last week were the result of excessive hydrostatic pressure, said Jason Kump, foreman for Complete Basement Systems from Mankato, Minn. Kump and his four-man crew were in town last week to help fellow franchisees Midwest Basement Systems in Des Moines handle its workload.

“You guys have had a lot of rain down here,” he said. “When you get that much hydrostatic pressure, it pushes up through the cracks in the floor and walls. Water follows the path of least resistance, and once it gets in, it doesn’t stop.”

The Behre’s were lucky because their warranty covered the additional work. As citizens were evacuated from areas of Des Moines, insurance companies like Montgomery-St. John Insurance Agency, located on Fleur Drive, stayed busy fielding calls from customers.

“We’ve been taking approximately 50 calls a day from people asking questions about getting help because of the floods,” said Gary Dickey, president. “The floods are costing people a lot of money, and we’re there to try and help them.”

Dickey reminds citizens that although flood insurance is helpful, one of its drawbacks that it takes time to active.

“About 98 percent of people in Des Moines do not have flood insurance,” Dickey said. “It takes 30 days for the insurance to begin, so a lot of people have lost interest in getting it.”

According to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), before 1968, the federal government’s flood coverage consisted disaster relief in the event of flood, or flood control projects, levees and seawalls. While this plan was a good start, flood victims were still suffering major financial losses.

In 1968, Congress established the NFIP with the goal of protecting communities from potential flood damage through floodplain management and to provide people with flood insurance.

Citizens looking to purchase flood insurance need to know if they reside in a high-risk flood zone or a low-risk flood zone because prices vary according to location. The average amount a person pays for flood insurance for $450.

Dickey encourages citizens to possibly look into purchasing flood insurance in case Mother Nature rears its ugly head again.

“Hopefully people learned after the 1993 floods that natural disasters happen when we least expect them to,” said Dickey. “This year’s floods proved that again. We all need to be prepared.”

While most people were focused last week on protecting their homes and businesses, and caring for friends and families, Animal Rescue League officials stayed busy helping local pet owners and animals.

“We had some sewage back-ups at our South Side location, so we had to move all of those animals to our main facility,” said Tom Colvin, ARL’s executive director. “We are packed tight, but we are working with local kennels to help during this situation.”

Colvin said that a “dozen families” with multiple pets have asked for assistance.

“We have been lucky so far considering what has happened to the poor folks in Cedar Rapids,” Colvin said. “But people have been great about evacuating while they can. If people need help with supplies like food, bowls or crates, contact the main office and we can help.”

Colvin also pleaded with evacuated residents to take their pets with them and not to leave them behind.

“That is the worst thing you can do,” he said. “We have not heard of any reports of people leaving their pets behind, but we are working with animal control officers who are on the lookout for stranded pets.”

If residents are unable to pay the boarding costs, the ARL is here to help, Colvin added.

“We have not worked a price yet, but were not going to let the inability to pay interfere with people’s needs,” Colvin said. “We will figure something out, even if we have to pay for it.” CV

Anyone who has ever had a home or business deluged by floodwaters knows that the real work begins when the waters recede. With that in mind, we have compiled a list of safety precautions and tips for local residents to consider as they clean up the mess.

Don’t drink or wade in floodwaters — Polk County Health Department officials recommend getting a tetanus shot if you have been working in floodwaters. Additional safety information is available at www.polkcountyiowa.gov.
Power off — To disconnect, call Mid American Energy at (888) 427-5632.
Throw out your food — USDA experts say safely cold foods in an unopened refrigerator are good for four hours. A full freezer will hold its temperature for 48 hours if the door stays closed or 24 hours if it has been opened or is half full.
Document damages — For insurance purposes, take lots of photos and write down a timeline of events.
Heating and cooling systems — If there is any question whether floodwater has reached a gas furnace or boiler, have it checked by a professional. Gas valves and controls are especially vulnerable to water damage from floods. Electric furnaces are susceptible to corrosion.
Avoid shady storm chasers — If a stranger comes to your home offering to repair your roof, remove trees or do other major work for cash upfront, just say no. Chances are they will take your money and disappear, leaving you with little or no recourse.
Hire a reputable contractor — If you need one, check the status of the contractor’s bonding and liability insurance coverage. The best performers are usually the busiest — beware of companies with time on their hands.
Dry out — If an area is left damp too long, dangerous mold can grow. Use a damp wipe and scrub with water and detergent. Remove moldy items and dispose in sealed plastic bags.
To avoid future basement flooding — Make sure your gutters are cleaned out regularly, seal any cracks and holes in the concrete block walls, check for water leaks where pipes enter the basement, install a sump pump to ensure unwanted water stays out and paint the basement walls with specialized waterproofing paint.
Trash it — Call Artistic Waste Services Inc. (262-4040) or Metro Waste Authority (244-0021) before you dispose of items damaged by the flood. Free curbside pick-up until Friday.

Important phone numbers, Web sites

• Des Moines Police — 283-4824 (non emergency)
• City of Des Moines Flood Information Hotline — 283-4500
• Polk County Health Department — 875-5791. An emergency call center for people with special health and medical needs has been set-up.
• Des Moines Public Schools — 242-7911 or visit www.dmpsflood.blogspot.com for closings.
• Volunteers — Call the United Way at 246-6563 or call 211.
• Animal Rescue League of Iowa — 262-9503.
• Shelters — The Red Cross has set-up shelters across the state, call (866) GET-INFO.
• Power and gas — Mid American Energy, (888) 427-5632. Free for flooding-related services and volunteer evacuees.
• Road closings — www.dmgov.org and www.polkcountyiowa.gov.
• FEMA — (800) 461-FEMA.

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