ADVERTISEMENT

Des Moines storm (also some Iowa towns of less importance with worse pizza)

Extension cords were too short so I brought the generator inside. The hum of it must be relaxing because the sbgf and dogs have been sleeping for a day.
I think generators are how you wean off motorcycles for peaceful ambient bedtime noise. Also did you remember to close all the windows to keep the power in and anticonductors out?
 
We left Iowa city last Thursday to visit family in Austin Texas so we missed the big storm in person. My son there has been checking in a few times each day to check on the cats and monitor the property. Lost a small piece of metal flashing but he recovered it in the yard so I’ll reattach that when I get home. We’re planning to be back in town Saturday afternoon so hopefully the power gets back on by then. Best wishes to everyone in their cleanup efforts. Not looking forward to cleaning out my freezer when I get home though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Moral
Was talking last night to a friend/wife living in Waukee. They had absolutely no damage at all...little valley they live in protected them from the big gusts. They've seen a couple videos I took during the storm, pics of the total damage, etc...they know we/I got clobbered, no power still, etc.

My buddy then asked me about power up here, was the REC my provider? Yes I said - and then mentioned my bill here will be big next month cause REC power is very expensive here.

His wife then states "well look at the bright side - your electrical bill at home will be low". I was too stunned to reply.

I wake up this morning and there's a text from my buddy. "Sorry for that comment (wife) made last night...NOT FUNNY."

Nope. Not really funny at all. At this time anyway...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Greenway4Prez
Am I correct in power companies will handle service to pole but if line is pulled from house it requires an electrician?
 
We got partial power restored. Alliant brought in a massive generator and hook us up. Not enough power for everyone to have air, but we can see and cook now, so that's something. They're saying another 10 days before regular power is restored. The transmission lines coming from Marshalltown are mostly down, so they have to get those fixed before they can hook up our new transformers.

Oh, and the WOI report.
https://www.weareiowa.com/article/s...echo/524-5411dd8a-a0ad-40a2-a600-c24f47ceedbd
 
Am I correct in power companies will handle service to pole but if line is pulled from house it requires an electrician?

  • Utility companies are responsible for the wire from the street, but only to a certain point.
  • Property owners are responsible for the "mast," the connector on their house
  • Property owners are also responsible for the big cable from the mast down the house to the meter (though the meter itself belongs to the power company).
  • Property owners need to pay for any wiring repairs from the meter into the house.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HROT
Heard the substations around CR are shot. Some areas are looking at 4-6 weeks.

Unfortunately...from what I am hearing from "guys in the field" is that there are likely to be areas that are out for weeks, not days. Particularly in the Cedar Rapids/Marion area. Iowa City was hit pretty hard, but not nearly as bad as CR/Marion apparently.

Post actual facts not shit you've heard. Those of us without power still prefer facts over hearsay. Do either of you work for Alliant or any other power company?

https://www.1630kcjj.com/2020/08/13/alliant-says-it-could-be-5-7-days-to-get-power-back-to-all-cr/
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kinnick.At.Night
Has anyone cleaned out their fridge yet? I took the last of the pop and food out of mine last night. There are two oversized garbage bags on the side of my house that I fear approaching when the time comes for disposal. They’re filled completely with spoiled refrigerator vomit. I’m considering digging a hole in the back yard and burying them. Do I need a building permit for that? Day 4. No power.
 
No internet means no debit cards or credit cards or ATMs.

I've used my debit/credit card many times over the last 5 days. Not sure where that information is coming from.

There is no trash pickup. There are one hundred thousand fridges of rotting food. There are raccoons.

They picked up trash yesterday and are picking up today. Multiple bags were allowed as long as it was under 40lbs.

All restaurants lost all of their perishables

I ate at Kickstand and El Paraiso last night without issue. We drove around downtown to get there without issue.

I understand that doom and gloom gets clicks but most of that article needs fact checked because they're wrong. It's a shitshow here for sure but not nearly as scorched earth as that article seems to make it.
 
Has anyone cleaned out their fridge yet? I took the last of the pop and food out of mine last night. There are two oversized garbage bags on the side of my house that I fear approaching when the time comes for disposal. They’re filled completely with spoiled refrigerator vomit. I’m considering digging a hole in the back yard and burying them. Do I need a building permit for that? Day 4. No power.

Where are you at? I’m pretty sure I saw the bigger cities have setup spoiled food drop off if you’re able to transport
 
Dport here. Still no power. 83 in the house at 9p for sleep. Good times

I've run a generator since Tuesday night so we've had a floor fan on full blast otherwise I wouldn't be sleeping either. Sorry to hear about that.
 
Powering the Xbox to watch Mean Girls on DVD has me wondering how many other people have watched mean girls in this fashion.

Next up The Princess Bride.
If you really do quit IT maybe go into anthropology.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Moral
We got partial power restored. Alliant brought in a massive generator and hook us up. Not enough power for everyone to have air, but we can see and cook now, so that's something. They're saying another 10 days before regular power is restored. The transmission lines coming from Marshalltown are mostly down, so they have to get those fixed before they can hook up our new transformers.

Oh, and the WOI report.
https://www.weareiowa.com/article/s...echo/524-5411dd8a-a0ad-40a2-a600-c24f47ceedbd

That sucks.

In perspective, this is a mini-Puerto Rico.....I think it was months to get power to most of them there. BUT, they did get Presidential paper towels, so they got THAT over you guys.
 
Has anyone cleaned out their fridge yet? I took the last of the pop and food out of mine last night. There are two oversized garbage bags on the side of my house that I fear approaching when the time comes for disposal. They’re filled completely with spoiled refrigerator vomit. I’m considering digging a hole in the back yard and burying them. Do I need a building permit for that? Day 4. No power.
:(:mad:
 
I've used my debit/credit card many times over the last 5 days. Not sure where that information is coming from.



They picked up trash yesterday and are picking up today. Multiple bags were allowed as long as it was under 40lbs.



I ate at Kickstand and El Paraiso last night without issue. We drove around downtown to get there without issue.

I understand that doom and gloom gets clicks but most of that article needs fact checked because they're wrong. It's a shitshow here for sure but not nearly as scorched earth as that article seems to make it.
Wilson Ave Hy Vee and Casey on 33rd can't use debt cards. I'm sure places that have their wifi can though. Target on the SW side was able to yesterday.
 
what part?

I’m on Northside east of NW Blvd and 90% of our neighborhood is back.

2 mins from Walmart on west Kimberly. Definitely parts of neighborhood getting it back but my street and one over still w/o. Can see couple houses down street w power. It's a tease lol
 
Wilson Ave Hy Vee and Casey on 33rd can't use debt cards. I'm sure places that have their wifi can though. Target on the SW side was able to yesterday.

Fair enough. I understand a few places are unable to process transactions with credit. The article made it seem like the whole system collapsed and we're using a trade and barter system currently.
 
  • Like
Reactions: beanerhawk
Just stop. Please.

See....this is the lack of empathy that irks me.

When PR was hit, and had no power for months, the MAGAs were coming out of the woodwork, talking about them having a 3rd world grid, and it was really their own fault, etc.

When it actually happens to THEM, they get all pissypants when you remind them what they are experience is literally a fraction of what PR dealt with.

You want empathy from others for the pain you're currently experiencing, but completely disregard when it happens to someone else.
 
See....this is the lack of empathy that irks me.

When PR was hit, and had no power for months, the MAGAs were coming out of the woodwork, talking about them having a 3rd world grid, and it was really their own fault, etc.

When it actually happens to THEM, they get all pissypants when you remind them what they are experience is literally a fraction of what PR dealt with.

You want empathy from others for the pain you're currently experiencing, but completely disregard when it happens to someone else.
Yes, I’m sure the point of your post was to elicit empathy for Puerto Rico and for us all to self reflect on our reactions and thoughts to what happened there, because all you really want is for everyone to be a better person. Fine, I’ll do it: Sorry, Puerto Rico! I should’ve fought harder for you! I apologize for....whatever I felt or thought about....whatever happened there! Please forgive me and help me with what I ask of you...which is nothing.

You weren’t trying to play politics AT ALL. Nope, not you! You are making other posts in other threads that MIGHT lead one to believe you have an agenda this morning. But I clearly have interpreted it all wrong. You simply want the systemic oppression of Puerto Rican weather victims to stop, and until that happens, only then can we truly recover.
Can the Democrats posting in this thread receive help though? Is that cool?
 
Has anyone cleaned out their fridge yet? I took the last of the pop and food out of mine last night. There are two oversized garbage bags on the side of my house that I fear approaching when the time comes for disposal. They’re filled completely with spoiled refrigerator vomit. I’m considering digging a hole in the back yard and burying them. Do I need a building permit for that? Day 4. No power.
Be sure to include that on your insurance claim. 100lbs of ribeyes is expensive.
 
There is a lot to be said for underground utility lines...not perfect more dependable/reliable.
And then....I missed the whole damn storm by going to Okoboji Sunday morning. :D
I have been told, other than having to clean up so leaves from the bottom of the pool, and shoring up a piece of fence, I escaped.
I am glad that I have my (soft maple) trees topped every 3 years though! Saves a lot of mess.
 
Yikes


At 11 a.m. on Monday, August 10 2020 Cedar Rapids was there, by 2 p.m. it was gone. Monday’s derecho, a landlocked hurricane with straight line winds over 100 mph, has impacted every part of the city catastrophically. Nearly every home has damage. Most big trees in the city fell. Most local businesses are closed. Every business is damaged. Most roads are impassable. As of 10 a.m. Wednesday 90,000 plus households in Linn County were without power. Restoring power across the grid will take weeks. Lines at gas stations outside of town with power were hours long. Chainsaws are sold out. Generators are sold out. Many gas stations sold out of gas. Cell service and LTE is spotty or nonexistent. You can’t call 911. The city has implemented a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. There are no lights in the city. You can see the milky way from downtown.

The water stayed potable. A saving grace. No power means people without gas stoves couldn’t boil water. Gas leaks throughout the city meant people with gas stoves couldn’t boil water. It would have been impossible to buy any nearby. No internet means no debit cards or credit cards or ATMs. All banks are closed. There wouldn’t have been enough anyway. People with well water and no power are using buckets as toilets.

Most power lines and poles are down. Let’s be clear about what this means. In every neighborhood, on every block, powerlines are down and poles are snapped in half. Powerlines are draped over garages, nestled in broken branches, strung five feet high over roads, laying across the street, across the sidewalk, they are everywhere. If they turned the power back on the city would burn.

There is no trash pickup. There are one hundred thousand fridges of rotting food. There are raccoons.

There is no escape from the heat, except to run out of town to look for basic supplies in an air conditioned car.

Downtown bricks and glass litter the sidewalks. Plate glass windows shattered during the storm. Many businesses have been physically destroyed. All restaurants lost all of their perishables. Factories are closed. Offices are closed. The economy — the whole thing — is stopped.

Cedar Rapids has been destroyed (again!).

So Cedar Rapids is basically Ottumwa now.

Ts and Ps.




But seriously, that sucks. Here’s hoping some help is on the way!
 
  • Like
Reactions: beanerhawk
Yes, I’m sure the point of your post was to elicit empathy for Puerto Rico and for us all to self reflect on our reactions and thoughts to what happened there, because all you really want is for everyone to be a better person. Fine, I’ll do it: Sorry, Puerto Rico! I should’ve fought harder for you! I apologize for....whatever I felt or thought about....whatever happened there! Please forgive me and help me with what I ask of you...which is nothing.

You weren’t trying to play politics AT ALL. Nope, not you! You are making other posts in other threads that MIGHT lead one to believe you have an agenda this morning. But I clearly have interpreted it all wrong. You simply want the systemic oppression of Puerto Rican weather victims to stop, and until that happens, only then can we truly recover.
Can the Democrats posting in this thread receive help though? Is that cool?
You sound like a jilted teenage girl.
 
Post actual facts not shit you've heard. Those of us without power still prefer facts over hearsay. Do either of you work for Alliant or any other power company?

https://www.1630kcjj.com/2020/08/13/alliant-says-it-could-be-5-7-days-to-get-power-back-to-all-cr/

Get bent! I am relating what has been told to various people living in CR and Solon and also from people that are actually involved with restoring power in different areas. From now on though, I'll be sure to check the "shit" I hear with the Alliant spokesman for your benefit.

Would you care to wager when all power will be restored in this region? You go with the official Alliant announcement of just 5 to 7 more days and I go with what people that are actually working on things are reporting?
 
There is a lot to be said for underground utility lines...not perfect more dependable/reliable.
And then....I missed the whole damn storm by going to Okoboji Sunday morning. :D
I have been told, other than having to clean up so leaves from the bottom of the pool, and shoring up a piece of fence, I escaped.
I am glad that I have my (soft maple) trees topped every 3 years though! Saves a lot of mess.
Unfortunately there are a bunch of neighborhoods in CR that have (or had after this) those soft maples in front and back yards. My first house was in a Skogman neighborhood built in the 50’s over by Jefferson HS. I drove through it yesterday and every place I could see had lost huge
chunks, if not the whole tree. Access to those back yards is so limited that getting those trees topped/pruned is a big expense. Lots and lots of ticking time bombs that unfortunately all went off on Monday.
 
There is a lot to be said for underground utility lines...not perfect more dependable/reliable.
We have underground utilities and neighbor that works for Alliant said it would be another 5 days for us. Next street over has power but they are REC.
 
Get bent! I am relating what has been told to various people living in CR and Solon and also from people that are actually involved with restoring power in different areas. From now on though, I'll be sure to check the "shit" I hear with the Alliant spokesman for your benefit.

Would you care to wager when all power will be restored in this region? You go with the official Alliant announcement of just 5 to 7 more days and I go with what people that are actually working on things are reporting?

GFY you POS. Maybe ask what you can do to help rather than try to win some internet wager with an anonymous person. People are already overwhelmed and your misinformation doesn't help the matter.
 
Last edited:
Yeah the pics are something else
EP-200819959.jpg

EP-200819959.jpg

EP-200819959.jpg

EP-200819959.jpg

EP-200819959.jpg
This storm has been compared to a category 2 hurricane based on the winds. However, the destruction from this storm is greater than your typical Florida Cat 2 hurricane. We didn't have advanced warning to prepare our houses for the storm. We didn't have a stockpile of food, water, gas, generators and chainsaws ready for the recovery. We also have old growth large trees that caused even more destruction on powerlines and property.

With that said, I am proud of Iowa on how we have responded to this disaster. Neighbors helping neighbors, strangers helping strangers. Iowa Strong!
 
ADVERTISEMENT