Thinking of you all and hoping everyone is safe!

thanks for starting this post ... the rains actually were below me .. and the flooding is close to where I'm relocating too ..

just got an email from my friend down in Beaver Dam that has a business in the downtown/main street area .. and was told by the Fire Chief to get to higher ground and to vacate her building because the buildings across the street may come crashing down .. the reason is that the lake and the river aren't cooperating and overflowing - taking the town with it!

http://www.topix.net/city/beaver-dam-wi

good thing they are only 2-3 stories tall!! but old old brick one!!

Thanks RW! It's a mess all around us. We are OK, but our Toad Hollow campground is AGAIN under water. The Mississippi is out of her banks and causing havoc in these lil river towns.

They are asking for volunteers everywhere. I am on the IA/IL border, so the river separates us. It's just very sad. Many of our farmer friends have lost their crops, (mostly corn) as their fields are flooded.

Glad I took DS to Iowa City on Wed, as by Thurs I80 was shut down.

My DS's town is flooded and there is mud everywhere that has washed down into the streets from peoples yards, etc. Such a mess!

My heart goes out to the family and friend's of those poor Boy Scouts in Omaha. Such a tragedy.

Keep safe everyone....

DH and I lived in a small town along the Mississippi River in '93 when the floods came. We were fortunate to just have a flooded basement but others lost everything and several smaller towns are just gone.

We loved it there and still have friends and families back in Iowa and Illinois. Our hearts go out to all those affected by the rains and flooding.

We're fortunate to live further north on the Mississippi. We are very near the river (had dinner in the park on the river today), but high on a hill, so even if it does flood, we're OK here..There are many in our Cedar Rapids plant fighting the floods, though. The first floor of the factory is flooded, the 2nd floor offices, too, but nobody can get in to see how bad yet. Several people have lost their homes and everything.
Kelly, I think you're right..Flooding near the Mississippi or Cedar Rivers may not be that unusual, but we've seen so many things hit at odd times/locations..Floods, fires, earthquakes,etc..Mother Nature's way of flipping us off, maybe..?

This is just unbelievable. I saw where the levee broke and they were scurrying to try to patch it.

We are getting the same rain that left you folks in such devastation over there. It's supposed to hang around for 4-5 days, but NOTHING like how it was when it stalled over the Midwest.

I heard some of the rivers are just NOW starting to crest, so it sounds like it could be a week or so before the water starts going down.

It just reminds me so much of NO, even if it is a smaller scale. It's got to be heartbreaking for those folks who have lost their homes and crops.

The levee broke in Gulfport IL! And, the LowMoor levee is in danger of giving way now!

When will this all stop??

I live in eastern Illinois. We have had some minor flooding here close to a local river and the dam on our lake (local water supply) was thought to have some damage to it. Now they are saying it is ok. Alot of farmers have also lost part or all or their crops. My county has been listed as a disaster area (one of the 18 counties) due to flodding and tornado. All of the roads are open again.

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone on the Mississippi.

I was actually up early enough to watch the Today Show. The floods are still the biggest topic in the news. I just want to cry when I see the devastation, and know that there is, yet, more to come..

My thoughts and prayers are with you and those people who are so effected by this.

P.S. I guess we will all be effected, when the price of corn skyrockets, b/c of the loss of crops.

i watched a show about how the barge traffic has been stopped.

how much coal is transported and if they don't get going soon, it could effect engergy prices.