Northeast Iowa
Robin and Russ lived through flooding before, but nothing could have prepared them for the devastation left after the midwest floods of 2008, which affected Iowa communities all long the Cedar River. The flooding began on a Sunday and nearly a day later, the river had reached its record crest washing out neighborhoods in its path and forcing families to evacuate their homes, like this family of six.
Robin and Russ could not believe their eyes when they returned to their neighborhood to find their recently re-modeled home of 17 years submerged up to their kitchen counter tops in six feet of diesel fuel-smelling water. “Your entire life changes in hours,” said Robin. “I never thought I would wake up and not be able to get into my home.”
They lost everything from clothes, to towels, to pots and pans, totaling to $70,000 in damages. This was the first time the family ever needed food assistance. The food and emergency food stamps they received alleviated much of their worry about purchasing food to feed their family of six as they struggled to piece their life back together. Through the emergency shelter set up at a nearby school, the family felt a sense of security during a time full of uncertainty. “I’ve never had to say thank you so often,” said Robin.
Find out more about Northeast Iowa Food Bank.