A 500-year flood in my lifetime

I'm not posting this for the two readers who already live here in Cedar Rapids because you are already experiencing this. I'm posting this for the one reader who lives outside this area. Cedar Rapids (and the surrounding area) is experiencing floods of epic proportions (I won't say "biblical proportions" because I have a feeling the flood Noah experienced was a bit bigger :o). We are shattering river level records left and right, and the famous floods of '93 look like puddles compared to what's going on right now. No one really knows what the current level of the Cedar River is because the electricity for the gauges is out, as it is for the entire downtown area of Cedar Rapids and more.

The photo above (taken from YouNews on KCRG's website) is of a train bridge they feared might go under. So they parked a train one it as you can see in the photo, with the train cars filled with rocks, in an attempt to keep the bridge in place. Just an hour or so ago, I saw aerial footage on KCRG's running coverage of the flood, and sure enough, the train bridge was in the water despite the efforts to save it. In the same aerial footage, I also saw that the Czech/Slovak museum is submerged - all you can see is the roof line.

Cedar Rapids brags about being only one of two mainland cities in the world whose government offices are on an island. That island is completely inaccessible now as the unthinkable has happened and the 2nd and 3rd Ave. bridges, which access the island, are completely covered.

No one ever thinks they will live to experience a 500 year flood, yet here it is. My home and family are safe, and as long as electricity is on, my basement will stay dry. I've got a roof leak with a bucket in my attic catching the water until I can have some dry weather to attempt, yet again, to repair the spot where the water is entering the roof. But that is incredibly small compared to what many of my neighbors downtown and surrounding regions are experiencing.

One of the great things about Iowans is how resilient they are. They'll bounce back from this - and many will do it with a great attitude. We've seen it many times in our farming communities, we've seen it after the devastating EF-5 tornado in Parkersburg and surrounding towns over the Memorial Day weekend this year, and we'll see it here. My prayer is that those who do not know Christ will not shake their fist at God for allowing this horrific flood to occur, but rather that they will realize how fragile and temporary this life is and that they need to cry out to God and find true life in Christ.