We spent about an hour tonight getting perspectives on the flooding from Brian Odean, a colleague of Mark Ritchey who lives in Cedar Rapids. From downtown we saw the depths and breadth of the floodwaters and heard stories of the rapidity and force of the flood's arrival. Described as a "700 year flood," it devastated the downtown area and neighboring residential areas where we are working. The photos above show downtown as it was at the height of the flood, and downtown today, with the quiet Cedar River as it appears now.

David Eggert