Community information and resources, including volunteers opportunities, road and building closures, weather and flood forecast tools and updates by Johnson County, Iowa City, Coralville and other cities and governmental agencies. Note that much of the material linked to below may be out of date, as the flood waters receded earlier this summer. (Updated 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013)
Volunteers
The University of Iowa is not currently in need of volunteers. However, the United Way of Johnson County is seeking volunteers to assist with sandbagging and other support for surrounding communities. For more information, visit http://www.unitedwayjc.org/blog-entry/29-05-2013/ flood-information-resources or call the United Way Disaster Hotline at 319-337-8657
Travel updates, building closures and related information
UI Facilities Management list and map of flood-related building and parking lot closures, along with details of current UI construction activity impacting access and travel, at www.facilities.uiowa.edu/closures. The map can be accessed directly at http://maps.facilities.uiowa.edu/flexviewer/closures/.
Iowa Department of Transportation Traveler Information: http://www.511ia.org/You can also travel announcements for the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area on Twitter at https://twitter.com/iowacity511.
County, city flood updates
City of Iowa City: http://www.icgov.org/flood/
City of Coralville: http://www.coralville.org/CivicAlerts.aspx
Johnson County: http://www.johnson-county.com/dept_emergency.aspx?id=13216
Weather and flood forecast tools
Iowa Flood Center: http://iowafloodcenter.org/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast for Iowa City: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=41.6113703&lon=-91.5015009&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=Iowa%20City%2C%20IA%2052240%2C%20USA
Health and safety information
For people personally affected by the flood, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has provided guidelines to homeowners regarding how to dispose of flood-damaged items. Discarded items should be set out in separate piles:
- Garbage (mattresses, furniture, etc.)
- Hazardous Waste (paints, solvents, herbicides, fertilizer, etc.)
- Appliances, electronics (TVs, computer monitors, etc.) and tires
- Scrap metal
For more information, visit www.iowadnr.gov/disaster.htmlor contact your local solid waste agency.
The DNR also offers safety tips for homeowners returning to houses that have been flooded in a flyer at http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/files/disaster/returnhome.pdf.
All official University of Iowa information, photos and video related to the flooding can be found on the Iowa Now news and information site at http://now.uiowa.edu/keywords/flood-updates-2013. You can also look for university (@uiowa) updates on Twitter at #uifloodupdates.