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I spent most of the morning sandbagging in Coralville at the public works building. Large dump trucks were taking the sandbags and hauling them to places most in need. But in a sad turn of events, the stretch of road Tim and I were sandbagging at over the weekend just suffered a breach of the Clear Creek embankment/levee/whatever and water is pouring into the area at an alarming rate.

The Army Corps of Engineers is now speculating that the Iowa River crest early next week could be more than 4 feet higher than the record-setting levels of '93. Many in our community believe time is running out and there will be a point in the not too distant future when the routes out of town will be cut off and we will all lose power and water.

Tim still thinks that might be an overreaction. I'm not taking any chances. I fought the crowded aisles at the store to grab jugs and bottles of drinking water, non-perishable snacks, hand sanitizer, and baby wipes.

I'm charging up any technical equipment we might need -- radios, phones, computer, DVD player (I'm not at all confident that we'll have daycare available in the days ahead). That is, I will be charging as soon as the lightning-plagued, torrential-rain-containing thunderstorms pass.

The photo I've included (from the Press-Citizen's Dan Williamson) shows the flooding in city park. In the middle of the frame, you'll see the tops of the children's carnival rides, which Henry enjoyed riding on less than two weeks ago.

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