Major Flooding in Iowa - Many People Out of their Homes

Yes, I have been seeing about this Iowa flooding all over the news, I feel very bad for all these people that have been forced away from their homes, and have no place to stay.They will need a place to stay for a very long time. I am glad that the Red Cross is there to help them. The Red Cross has been very busy this year, so many places all over the u.s. have been flooded out so bad this year, so many tornados too.I pray for all these people each day.

I live in east central Iowa and have seen this devastation first hand. I was fortunate enough to have only a tiny bit of water in my basement. It destroyed only a piece of carpet which we later discarded. However, quite a few of my friends have lost all of their belongings and even their homes. The nicest thing about living in Iowa is the way people help each other in a time of need. Thousands of volunteers showed up day after day to fill and place sandbags for whoever needed them. Utility workers, daycare providers, hospital staff, food service people, and many others worked many hours of overtime to accomodate the needs of these victims. Large amounts of food and clothing were donated to local churches(who then offered them to flood victims). My husband and I have been working every night (after working our regular jobs) and all weekend to help a friend whose house will have to be completely remodeled. I (and many others) have also added our names to a list of people who can be called if others need help cleaning up the mess. The amount of garbage and structural damage is unbelieveable. What else is unbelieveable is that I have not heard one report of anyone being killed or even seriously injured due to the flooding. I hope that will ring true for the states who will be dealing with the flood waters next. People are being very gracious and opening their homes to those without a place to stay, others are staying at shelters. Oh, and just to let you know, the Red Cross has done little or nothing to help in this area of the state. They did provide a few flood clean up kits (they did not even have enough to supply my small town)and are offering vouchers now for clothing and food. Many human services workers were frustrated because instead of meeting the physical needs of people who were suddenly homeless, the Red Cross was providing counselors. I am sure some people could have really used the councelling, but they probably needed a clean pair of underwear worse! One of the most heartwarming things to see is that nobody has reported much looting, burglaries, etc due to the flooding. Many people I know are leaving their valuable items (that need washed or repaired) sitting out in their yards. It is nice to know you can trust your neighbors that much. Keep praying for us as we rebuild our neighborhoods, we appreciate it!