Emails Sent Saturday, June 14th - "The Day"

#1 sent at 2:23 p.m.:

It's just wait-and-see now.

Everything is officially out of the house now and the semi has been moved to higher ground. The country has set the evacuation deadline for Monday morning at 8:00 a.m., which means after that time, my parents will no longer be able to go back to the house.

The river is going up big time. When this started last Tuesday, the river crest prediction was 29 feet. As of this morning, it is predicted to crest at 35.5 feet sometime on Monday, a dramatic difference of 6.5 feet. Yesterday, the Iowa River rose three feet - just in one day. This morning, it was on track to keep raising at that rate. The Mississippi River is also raising quite a bit, which doesn't help matters at all. Also, as of this morning, the river was only 27 inches from the top of the levee (the levee we're concerned about). According to the predictions, there's still 3.5 feet for the river to go up, many more inches than what is left at the levee. If the water goes over, the levee will be washed out. By all accounts, it looks like the levee breaking is inevitable. I'm still trying to have faith, but the moods at home are very sober and grim. Keep praying!!!!

I know this can be hard to see without a visual, so me, being a tiny bit of the geek I am, have provided one! It's attached as a picture. I took a Google Earth image of the area and made some comments on it. :)

I never, never would've believed this would happen just a week ago! Thanks for your notes and prayers!

Stephanie




#2 sent at 5:33 p.m.:

I'd like an order of good news with a side of peace, please.

It seems like every time I get a phone call or look at a website today, it's not good news. This morning the officials pulled everyone off the sandbagging effort at the Iowa River levee because it was getting too dangerous. There's nothing else that can be done. The crest prediction has risen to 36.1 feet. It has risen 5 feet in the last 24 hours and will continue to rise for the next two - three days. Severe thunderstorms went through Iowa City/Cedar Rapids earlier this afternoon and home is supposed to get rain tonight or tomorrow.

As I mentioned in the earlier email, my parents were going to have to be out by 8 a.m. Saturday. Mom was at the house this morning and three sheriff deputies showed up and told her she had to leave then. They waited for her and then followed her out of the area. The officials are patrolling the area, and no one is allowed back in. Officials have extended the mandatory evacuation all the way to Burlington. It's 20 miles from Oakville to Burlington and everyone between Highway 99 and the Mississippi River has to leave. That's hundreds of people and hundreds of farms being affected. I cannot even fathom the amount of devastation if all of that was to flood. It would be thousands and thousands of crops lost.

Pray especially for my dad. He's barely slept in the last few days. He had been working at the farm during the day and at his job with the river pumps during the night. He's only gotten a few hours of sleep here and there on a cot. He said he just has to do whatever he can to help the area. I'm proud of him! My family is now helping others move out, ironically a family that had just helped them move out a few days ago.

Thanks again!!!
steph


#3 sent at 6:32 p.m.:

The levee broke. In a matter of hours, my family's farm will be completely underwater. I can't believe it. I was really hoping it would hold.

More later.

steph


#4 sent at 10:15 p.m.:

I know this is the fourth email today and I promise it will be my last! :)

It has been a wild ride this afternoon! My mom called me hysterically telling me the levee had broken. I also talked to my BFF Jen in Iowa (what would I have done without you today, Jen?!? :). Her brother Brian is the county engineer, and she also said it had broken. Then a couple hours later, my brother Nate called me to say the levee officially hadn't broken yet, which totally perplexed me! What happened is that the levee did break, but underneath it, and somehow the sand sank, temporarily stopping the flooding. A group of National Guardsmen were sent to the spot and they started piling anything on the levee they could to try to stop it. Nate called me back just a few minutes ago and said the levee was seeping enough that the Guardsmen were pulled back and then the levee fully broke, starting the flooding. Officials estimate it will take about six hours for the water to reach my parents'.

Now the biggest concern is the Big Ditch, which is at the bottom of that picture I sent. The Big Ditch is a levee that was made to take in extra water from the Mississippi, and to also help drain the farmland in that area. It's not a very big levee. The fear is that there will be too much water from the other levee break and the Big Ditch will not hold. If it doesn't, it will be even more disastrous. It's unfathomable to me actually! To help with that, my dad (Steve) and his co-worker Tim are currently sitting in an excavator on top of the Mississippi levee near the Big Ditch, right next to my parents' house. When the water starts to get close, they are going to start digging on top of the levee. This will allow the other water to drain and hopefully take enough pressure off the Big Ditch so it doesn't break. Pray for Dad and Tim. That's not exactly a safe job!!

My mind has been in Iowa for the past few days, which I'm sure I've made a lovely houseguest for Davita! I actually changed my flight and will be taking an overnight flight out of Anchorage tonight. I'll be arriving in Dallas Sunday afternoon (thanks for the ride Julie!!!). Most likely I'll drive to Iowa on Monday. I know I can't do anything, but my mom keeps telling me that she wishes I was there. I need to get there soon!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your prayers. We all really appreciate it. I don't know what will happen next, but I know it will be a very long recovery. Now I'm praying that God will really be shown through this. I hope I can be a witness. What an enormous mission field, right in my hometown and in my own family. My only hope now is we would grow closer as a family and many would grow closer to God through this experience.

Thanks for enduring with me. These emails have been great for me to think and vent! :) I think I'll start a blog with pictures soon....

Texas friends! I'm going to be in town for just a bit. I'd love to see anyone!! I'll just throw this out.....if you're free (and want to!), how about meeting at Dickey's at Spring Creek and Preston at 7:00 Sunday night? Anyone is welcome.....pass it around.

I'm done for today - I PROMISE!!!!! :)
stephanie