Thursday, August 13, 2009

Eldora Experience


Unbeknownst to most people in Iowa, the community of Eldora was hammered with two huge storms this past Sunday. I had an opportunity to spend a few hours with some young people doing clean-up work on Tuesday.

Click here to see the pictures I took.

A few reflections from my time in Eldora:

  • I spoke with an insurance adjuster who told me that EVERY building in town will need a new roof
  • Most of the crops in Hardin County were wiped out by the hail. Corn stalks that were 7-8 feet tall stood only a few inches off the ground
  • Community leaders in town were very well-organized and ready to receive volunteers
  • We worked with a guy who was on vacation with his family at nearby Pine Lake. He intended to spend his entire week serving as a crew-leader
  • Over 1/2 of the volunteers we saw were under the age of 18
  • One man from Ames took the day off from work and brought his daughter to help
  • Many of the vehicles and all buildings looked like they were fired upon with machine guns
  • I can't understand why this didn't get much more attention in the press

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