Has anyone heard from Ken McElreath? The Cedar Raipids flooding is all over the news--Hope all is OK with him and other folks threatened there. Tom
Tom, Thank you for your kind concern. We are all right by God's grace, but the city is devastated, and I thought I was used to river flooding from my early years in Cape Girardeau. At least 438 city blocks were flooded, including virtually all important historical landmarks and buildings. We used to live in Cedar Rapids until 2004, and then Marsha wanted to move to the country and away from the minor flood plain we were in. We did have some water in the 1993 flood, but this one would have wiped out our old model railroad layout for sure. We now live on a high hill near Mount Vernon, about 15 miles east, where I am beginning a new layout. This flood surged 20 feet above flood stage, cutting all roads everywhere that crossed any river, especially the Cedar River, ripping out highway and railroad bridges as well as the concrete road surfaces in the low approaches to them. We simply left for a few days, heading east, then north and finally south to depart the area. Now we have the opportunity to help our neighbors in the city to rebuild their lives and culture. The effects of this event will be global, since Cedar Rapids is the largest cereal and grain processing center in the country. Quaker Oats is the largest cereal plant in the world, and it is accompanied by ADM, Cargill, Penford Industries and General Mills, all served by railroads and no rail access restored as yet. Ken McElreath +
Ken - Glad to hear you and Marsha are high and dry and safe. Years ago (1971!), when I was a Monsanto sales rep, central and SE Iowa was in my territory. I visited Cedar Rapids often, and used it as my Iowa hub (along with Burlington now and then). I liked Cedar Rapids a lot - there was a toy store downtown that I used to visit each time to pick up something to bring back for son Kurt (now he is 39 - my how time flies by!). I remember the city well and it is sad to see the devastation the current flood has brought. In 1993, during that great flood, I was responsible for one of Monsanto's plants here in St Louis. We had the River Des Peres flood about a third of our plant with water backed up from the Mississippi. What a mess! My heart goes out the all those who are impacted this time. Glad you are OK. Ken
