Archive for June, 2008

Polly Prior from Columbus Junction has this information:

T-shirts are for sale to help with flood relief for Columbus Junction and Louisa County.

The CJ Gazette has t-shirts for sale that the money will go into a fund to help Louisa County,the 3 cities of CJ, Wapello, and Oakville.

The business “Simply Soothing” is making t-shirts for sale to help the flood relief in Columbus Junction. They will custom make the shirt with various pictures from the flood. They also have Flood Survival baseball caps.

This message also from Community Development:

The Columbus Junction farmers market has relocated due to the flood. The market will be held at the American Legion parking lot, 99 2^nd St. Columbus Junction on Fridays from 4:30 to 6:30 pm until further notice. The Columbus Junction market is the only farmers market in Louisa County and is certified by the Iowa Department of Land Stewardship (IDALS) to accept Senior Nutrition Coupons and WIC vouchers. New vendors are always welcome. For more information about the Columbus Junction farmers market please contact Mallory Smith or Nitza Lopez-Castillo, Columbus Junction Community Development Center at 319-728-7971 or cdc@columbusjunctioniowa.org.

This message is from Mallory Smith, Columbus Junction Community Development Director

The flood waters that recently wrecked havoc in Columbus Junction, Iowa left residents and visitors high and dry for places to eat. That is an unusual occurrence for this little town of 1,900 that boasts thirteen restaurants and three bars. The high water closed four of the town’s food establishments and left nine more with tables empty, under a boil order while the city’s water treatment plant was restored to normal operating conditions. On Saturday morning the boil order was lifted and cooks immediately began chopping, mixing and frying. Customers weren’t far behind. People were happy to enjoy again their favorite culinary treats that in Columbus Junction range from huevos rancheros to apple pie.

The flood of 2008 created a small business disaster for this Southeast Iowa community. High water directly or indirectly affected nearly every business in the city, almost all of which are small family-owned enterprises. The easternmost portion of the downtown business district was under water for days. Over two dozen businesses and organizations are now facing the tasks of clean up, repairs or perhaps rebuilding. Businesses above the flooded area felt the effects too due to the boil order and closed highways that left the city inaccessible from the east and north for a week. Fortunately homeowners fared better and less than 10 houses were damaged.

Even now, while water is still being pumped out of the Fairgrounds, the economic recovery effort is underway. Elias Gutierrez, Executive Director for Louisa Development Group, a countywide economic development organization, is heading up efforts to connect business owners with resources such as FEMA, Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). “It’s vital to have these businesses up and running again. They provide jobs, pay taxes and contribute a lot to our economy,” stated Gutierrez.

City officials are hopeful that the spirit of sandbagging will extend to shopping locally. The city’s largest grocery store, Economart, was underwater and is closed. Residents are being encouraged to shop at the three Hispanic markets that carry full product lines including grocery items, produce, meat, dairy, and cleaning supplies. Another option being presented is to make the trip to Wapello, the county seat fifteen minutes away, where Economart’s owners have a second location. “It’s a very important time to shop locally, to help the economy and show community pride,” declares Mallory Smith, Columbus Junction Community Development Director.

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Louisa County Sheriff’s office reports Highway 61 north of Wapello is open.

Only this road is listed as closed by the Washington County Secondary Roads Department: Dogwood Ave. at McKains Access northwest of Brighton.

The Public Safety Center also reports Highway 22 near Riverside is open.

Louisa County Extension Office has many resources available a their website:
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/louisa

Here are a few more images courtesy of Lyle Moen. These pictures of Columbus Junction were taken June 15.

(Lyle Moen)

(Lyle Moen)

Louisa County Extension and the Louisa County Office of Emergency Management will be holding meetings for those displaced by flooding every night at 7 p.m. at the Solid Rock Baptist Church on Locust Street in Wapello.

These informational meetings include updates on road and flood conditions in Louisa County; the latest updates on food, housing and other services; updates on aid and question and answer sessions.

The public is welcome to attend. Meetings will continue nightly until the need is met.

The Louisa County Sheriff’s Office reports the city of Columbus Junction has lifted the boil order for the city water system. Test results are back and the city water is safe for drinking and personal use.

According to the DOT, Highway 92 at Columbus Junction is now open. Also, Highway 70 north of Columbus Junction is open. Highway 61 north of Wapello is under intense construction and is closed for saftey concerns.