Western Railroad Discussion > Iowa flooding in Cedar Rapids

Just heard news reports that Cedar Rapids, Iowa is preparing for 2nd worst flood. I took this photo on June 16, 2008 in Fort Madison, Iowa not long after hearing the same reports. The 2008 Flood may have been caused by a more wide spread of rain pattern than this year, but since moving to Oregon we don't see what is happening in Iowa. 2008 was odd in that it did not rain much in Fort Madison but it funneled down stream from the Cedar River and the Iowa River plus many more contributing factors including the narrowing of rivers by the levy systems built up for the last 100 years.
So what is the possibility of the current flooding funneling down to flood the Mississippi River like it did in 2008?
Steve Rippeteau

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Per the National Weather Service Quad Cities office: http://www.weather.gov/dvn/
Looks like flood warnings down the Mississippe River for some distance south.

If the projected crests are reached, the BNSF K Line at Hannibal will probably be under water on Wednesday.

Regards,
Burlington John
 

At this time AFAIK, the CN and Iowa Northern are shut down.  The UP former passenger line
through downtown is shut down.  So far, the UP main is open and expected to remain so.  Crandic
is fully operational as is ADM, the principal rail user in CR.  Quaker Oats plant is shut down.  
It does not appear at this time the flood will be as bad as 2008.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

The Cedar Rapids area learned a lot from the 2008 floods (when they had no flood mitigration plans because they'd never encountered or imagined water to ever get as high as it did).  In the intervening 8 years, many plans have been made, and the next 48 hours are critical to see if the plans and efforts have been successful.  There are sand-filled HESCO barriers all over the low areas, and Cedar Rapids residents came out in droves to help make sandbags, distribute them, put them in place, and to help businesses pack up their assets and move them to higher ground.  A local trucking comany has also provided 53' trailers to businesses for storage of their belongings in a safe and remote location away from the flood areas.  Everyone in town is taking the threat seriously.  After 2008 many businesses rebuilt with critical infrasturcture, computers, records, etc. moved up on the 2nd floor or higher of their buildings to be safe even if floods came again.  The flood currently is expected to crest at about 23' around noon Tuesday, which although is still going to be the 2nd highest level ever recorded, is 8 feet less than the 31' that came in 2008.  In regards to the railroads, I would guess that there is no rail traffic through downtown because of sandbag walls needing to cross the tracks, but I do not believe either of the downtown bridges have been anchored with gondolas of rip-rap.  I have not been down to the UP crossing of the Cedar River, but would guess that's not anchored with riprap gondolas either.  Likely the UP tracks will be under water in other low places before it gets to the bridge deck to the east of the bridge, but I do not know for sure on that. 

CN is staging traffic at Manchester at Dubuque per a source, incuding a block of Oats for Quaker at Cedar Rapids.

MILW86A

milwrdfan Wrote:
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> In regards to the railroads, I would guess that there is no rail traffic through downtown
> because of sandbag walls needing to cross the tracks, but I do not believe either of the
> downtown bridges have been anchored with gondolas of rip-rap.

Pictures posted on Flickr show that CN did place rip-rap gondolas on their bridge, but that there were no such gondolas placed on the former CGW bridge.

Rainier_Rails Wrote:
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> milwrdfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > In regards to the railroads, I would guess that
> there is no rail traffic through downtown
> > because of sandbag walls needing to cross the
> tracks, but I do not believe either of the
> > downtown bridges have been anchored with
> gondolas of rip-rap.
>
> Pictures posted on Flickr show that CN did place
> rip-rap gondolas on their bridge, but that there
> were no such gondolas placed on the former CGW
> bridge.

Ted, please check your locations here.  I think you're talking about the CN bridge in Cedar FALLS
and the CGW bridge in Waterloo,  The CGW did not reach Cedar Rapids, and the CN has 
no bridge over the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/16 07:03 by ntharalson.

ntharalson Wrote:
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> Ted, please check your locations here.
> I think you're talking about the CN bridge in Cedar FALLS and the CGW bridge in Waterloo.
> The CGW did not reach Cedar Rapids, and the CN has no bridge over the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids.

Oops!  You're right, Nick.  Sorry about that!

ATCS has shown both tracks blocked by the dispatcher between the control points
of Beverly and Bertram all day long.  Son works near the tracks in Fairfax and said he didn't see
or hear any trains all day long. Don't know if this is because of the flooding or some other reason.
River crested just short of 23 feet this AM, about 11 feet over flood stage.

Brian

Picture from 2008 of Cedar river bridge. Don't remember what the river stage was
when the picture was taken.
Brian



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/16 20:24 by bkr.

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