Lake Delhi dam in eastern Iowa has failed, forcing residents to flee, gushing water up to roofs

[Tx4obama]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- A dam on an eastern Iowa lake failed Saturday, sending a massive amount of water into nearby communities and forcing residents to flee.

The Lake Delhi dam, about 45 miles north of Cedar Rapids, failed as a result of "massive rain -- a very unusually high amount this season," according to Jim Flansburg, communications director for Gov. Chet Culver.

The roads on either side of the dam -- which were part of the dam's containment measures -- apparently gave out as a result of the rainfall, Flansburg told CNN.

SNIP

Video showed water violently gushing from the pool behind the dam into the river below. Nearby homes and buildings were in water up to their eaves.


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/24/iowa.dam.breach/index.html?hpt=T1

---

Edited to add article link and text.

[sandnsea]

1. Oy, read the comments

:banghead:

Not a word about Bush tax cuts or the war. These people are so fucking stupid.

[mike r]

3. Seems there is an army of teabaggers on the net ready to politicize every news story

no matter what it is about.

[Arrowhead2k1]

18. Yup, CNN is getting trolled pretty hard lately.

It really is mind numbing to read the comments there these days.

[Plucketeer]

2. A VERY inconvenient truth!

Of course, we KNOW how Beck will spin this. But I'm wondering how Limpbhals is gonna pin this on Gore and the Democrats? Surely it's some planned disaster like the blowout in the Gulf! :crazy:

[earcandle]

4. How about investing in jobs for infrastructure asap, Obama?

[FirstLight]

31. + a million

that is how FDR got us out of the Depression, it's the best way for us to move forward...
Levees, bridges, dams, grids, etc... all are seriously antiquated

anybody listening...?

[valerief]

5. How tragic, but that's small government for you. The free market at work.

Lifeboats for the few, sharks for the many.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Anyone know how old the dam was? n/t

[starroute]

11. News sources say the lake was created in the 1920's

I'm still trying to find whether the dam was upgraded at any time since then.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. Okay, thank you.

:)

I had a feeling that this one was probably one of the older ones.

[uppityperson]

24. here is info, pictures, vid @ link.

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Lake-Delhi-Dam-Has-Been-Compromised-99164894.html
Background on the Lake Delhi Dam

The Lake Delhi dam is 81 years old. The dam was completed in 1929 by the Interstate Power Co., according to Gazette archives. The dam generated power until 1973. In 1974, Interstate Power sold the dam to the Lake Delhi Recreation Association, a group of residents seeking to preserve recreational opportunities at the lake. The association still owns the dam

Multiple efforts had been under way to again generate power from the dam, with the latest effort starting in 2008.

Lake Delhi is roughly a 450 acre lake, according to the United States Geologic Survey.(more)

[Blue Gardener]

7. I used to go to that lake as a kid

And this is a real tragedy for the people in that area. Could we at least try to focus on the horrific impact this is having on the people instead of the politics?

[earcandle]

8. I agree.. sorry about your old neighborhood and the people affected. We need infrastructure money

NOW>>>> 

[47of74]

15. I wish it was possible

But the hyper-partisan teabaggers are out politicizing this as they do with every Goddamn thing they can. They weren't known as teabaggers back in 2008, but they were out their with the right wing horseshit too back then after the floods we got that year. My mom got some of the racist emails that were being circulated back then.

[Iowa]

25. The rain in this area has been astounding recently...

We were driving Thursday and hit one of those torrential downfalls where you can't see more than 10 feet in front of you. I told my wife not to worry... these types of downpours last maybe one or two minutes. We were in it for a full 30 minutes. I have never seen anything like it - not even close. We couldn't pull off because the shoulders were extremely narrow, visibility was zilch, and we had no idea what we'd be driving into. This was close to the area where the dam burst.

[Jefferson23]

28. Glad to hear you're both ok, that is quite a drastic change in weather pattern. n/t

[Downwinder]

9. A little background from 2005.

Delhi residents hash over bid to become city
Supporters believe they can draw more state aid if they form a municipality

http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=23747

[nyy1998]

10. It seems like Iowa has been having all sorts of water trouble over the years

I really hope this just an extreme for the ppl there and that things get better.

[starroute]

12. Here's a little more on the dam

http://www.lakedelhi.com/

Lake Delhi was created in the 1920's by the construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Maquoketa River. Since that time the Lake Delhi area has grown to be the weekend retreat or home to over 900 residents. The Lake Delhi Recreation Association became the owners of the dam and other properties on Lake Delhi in 1973.

Since 1973, the LDRA has actively maintained and improved the dam, restored and improved areas on the lake such as Lost Beach, supported water quality efforts, dredging, sponsored fish stocking, and represented the lake residents' interests whenever needed.

Since 1989, Lake Delhi property owners pay a property assessment in the Benefited Lake Tax District to provide funds for the LDRA to operate. It is these funds along with LDRA membership fees, donations and grants which have been used to repair the dam and dredge Lake Delhi. The benefited tax district funds are administered by the tax district trustees.


On edit: See also the graphs at http://www.lakedelhi.com/water_levels.php?days=7

[angrycarpenter]

26. Kind of a libertarian arrangement

How much you figure they will pay for repairs and cleanup?

[Baclava]

13. Dam burst - there's a picture you don't see every day

[kimmylavin]

16. Holy cow!

That's tragic.
What a mess...

[Baclava]

20. "town evacuated, no injuries were reported"

sounds like they had warnings

[kimmylavin]

21. Well, that's good.

Incredible pictures.

[Soylent Brice]

30. woah.

:wow:

[Baclava]

40. Meanwhile, in China - a bazillion chinese will die if this baby cracks - Three Gorges Dam 'critical'

Flooding tests China's giant dam





http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/07/201072435320990152.html

[Odin2005]

41. HOLY SHIT!!!

:wow:

[madrchsod]

17. we are getting hammered with rain through this part of the country

the rock river that flows through central southern wisconsin and central northern illinois has risen several feet today from thursday rains and more from friday rain through wisconsin and illinois is on the way.

in 2008 cedar rapids experienced a 500 year flood...

[jwirr]

29. Wasn't the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City flooding caused by heavy rains

also?

[Tashca]

35. Several reasons.

We have been in an above normal precipitation pattern since at least October of 2007. Some people say it's been since 2006.

The winter snowfall of 07/08 was a record or near record in many areas. Then the spring rainfall was much above normal. The rivers never went down all spring into summer. The crest hit Cedar Rapids on June 12. The former record high for the river was around 20 feet.....this came through at 33 feet. At least 7 feet above the highest levies. It also went well past 500 year flood plain plans. Many call it a once in a 1500 year flood.

What is going on right now just to our north in this area of the dam burst is eerily familiar....

[PapaSmurf2]

19. Favorite comment....

Global warming caused the oil catastrophe in the Gulf, and the 35W bridge to collapse, and the Wall Street melt down, and child obesity in America, and Bush, and Obama, and God, and ... what were we talking about? ... oh yeah, a dam broke in Iowa.

[uppityperson]

22. k&r, hoping everyone is ok, my condolences Iowanians

[uppityperson]

23. More articls, a couple pictures...

More @ each link.

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Monticello-Asking-for-Help-Sandbagging-99169204.html
A few pictures at this site

The city of Monticello waiting for the worst and wondering if it will actually come.

Monticello sits downstream from Lake Delhi on the Maquoketa River. Since the dam broke earlier Saturday afternoon, officials in Monticello have tried to guess when all of that water will reach here.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources officers said they’ve been told Lake Delhi has already dropped 12 feet from where it was earlier today, which would put the lake six feet below normal. Iowa Governor Chet Culver is in Monticello, along with Congressman Bruce Braley and Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy.

Culver said he has mobilized the Iowa National Guard to help with flooding response, “I’ve talked with General Orr, and we want to make sure we have all the resources necessary.” Culver also said he opened the state’s emergency response center within Camp Dodge, in Johnston.

The Iowa State Patrol has at least one airplane circling the Maquoketa River to watch water that is coming from the dam breech....

http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=290297

Voluntary evacuation of Hopkinton, Monticello called
Update:

The Delaware County Sheriff's Department is asking the approximately 1,200 residents living along the river and in low-lying areas between the dam on Lake Delhi and Maquoketa to evacuate.

Gov. Chet Culver, who visited Monticello earlier in the day to survey damage, has activated the National Guard and the state Emergency Operation Center to the area.

Because of the dam breach, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for northeastern Jones and southeastern Delaware counties until 6:45 p.m. Saturday.

Original Story:

Update:

Levees supporting the roadways on both the north and south sides of the Lake Delhi Dam now have breeches. A large chunk of the levee has broken free on the south side, greatly enlarging the existing breech. Warning sirens are going off in Hopkinton, the next town downriver from the dam....

http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_184ed56c-9743-11df-a3ed-001cc4c002e0.html

Maquoketa prepares for 'worst-case scenario'

UPDATED 4 P.M.: MAQUOKETA, Iowa — Jackson County Emergency Management Coordinator Lyn Medinger said this afternoon that he is preparing for projected flooding on the Maquoketa River that could be 4 feet higher than the last flood in 2002.

Medinger said they are working on “the worst-case scenario.” Medinger said he’s been told the dam at Lake Delhi “is totally gone.” He said the Maquoketa River could hit as high as 38 feet sometime after 6 p.m. today. In 2002, the flood was at 34 feet. The National Weather Service’s prediction as of this afternoon was a 34.8-foot crest on Sunday. “So if you were flooded in 2002, you will likely be flooded this time,” Medinger said.

Some residents along Grove Street near the Maquoketa River are moving items out of their homes, he said. The low-lying areas near the river may see high water. The rest of the city is not likely to be affected and there are not a lot of homes in that area.

Volunteers are putting sand into bags to protect the city’s infrastructure. “We are using the bags for the city’s wastewater treatment plant, Maquoketa Municipal Electric Utility and Public Works Department,” Medinger said. More volunteers are needed at the Public Works Department. Medinger said he has sent for 5,000 more bags from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Because of heavy rains Friday, some county roads are closed. The Jackson County Engineer’s Office said 188th Street in Farmer’s Creek Township Sections 4, 5 and 6 are closed because of water over the roads. Davison Bottoms Road from 212th Avenue to 91st Street also is closed....

Spruce Creek Park campgrounds, north of Maquoketa, has closed because of high water on the Mississippi River.

[FailureToCommunicate]

27. Global climate DISRUPTION will be very inconvenient. My mom lived in Cedar

Rapids. Stay safe Hawkeyes!

[liberaltrucker]

32. Damn (no pun intended) I worked near there in the late 80's

:scared:

[defendandprotect]

33. Increasing impact of floods from Global Warming -- and too little attention to infrastucture ...

Our government has to get busy on this stuff --

10" of rain in 12 hours -- disaster anywhere that happens --

We're also increasingly getting severe thunderstorms here in NJ --

heavy rains and threats of flooding are more common now than gentle rain --

strong winds also becoming a problem -- severe lightning activity yesterday day.

Huge numbers of strikes within a short period of time.

In my particular area -- we're under these threats, but ironically, have had little

rain and ground is dry.

[defendandprotect]

34. Trust everyone was evacuated and safe --

and that they get the help they need from government --

[Hardrada]

36. I am downstream from this but I think the worst may have been earlier this evening.

We came back from out of town and noticed sandbags by the water treatment and electric planys but no water on the road. Flooding in the farm fields to the north.

[CLANG]

37. Obama screwd up AGAIN!!

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[costahawk1987]

38. Nice people and damn fine fishing around there

I hope they recover soon. My city of Cedar Rapids never will.

[Aristophrenia]

39. James Hansen - the Worlds leading climatologist

head of NASA advisor to numerous presidents - general boffin and awesome guy - his recent book storms of my grandchildren is THE BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN ON GLOBAL WARMING - ever.

Anyway - he points out that the vast majority of dam-able rivers etc are already dammed - and it was done a long time ago. His point is that these dams never last more than 50-100 years due to silt build up. The three gorges will last less than 30 due to massive silt in the system. Anyway - he has forecast precisely this - they would cease to function. They are all coming due for failure through silt build up. He does not talk about collapse - rather the build up prevents them operating as turbines - same deal.

He was - as he always has been - roundly ignored. Why? He is the greatest mind on this planet regarding climate - I never hear his name, never hear his side - why do you not listen to those who know.

All your dams are ready to go - right when things start to look really bad - its almost like everything joins in for the party.

The Chinese have only just built their country - the US built it 50 - 100 years ago, nothing - nothing at all has been done to maintain it or upgrade it - it now it is failing. The US is in so much trouble in so many ways - it makes me feel incredibly sad.

[Odin2005]

42. We have the infrastructure of a 3rd World country.