"This time we don't have people walking around in water, trying to sand bag," � says Benton County EMA Director Scott Hansen. With a slightly lower flood crest of 22.5 predicted for Sunday evening, Vinton residents are clearly ahead of the flood preparations eight years ago, when the 24.7 feet crest of the Cedar River destroyed dozens of homes, the Benton County Jail and caused severe damage to the electrical utility and many other buildings. There are many reasons we are more ready this year:
  1. Experience. The flood of 2008 taught us to pay attention sooner, and act faster to protect what we can. Also, we know how far a "24.7" � flood goes - something we could only guess at in 2008. This knowledge helps the community focus its efforts on the areas most likely to get the most water.
  2. Technology. While hundreds of volunteers tried valiantly to save the fire station, jail and VMEU buildings, a wall of sand bags turned out to be no match for the fast-rising, high-pressure flood waters. The Hesco barriers take less time and manpower to set up and offer a much more promising level of protection from that kind of raging river.
  3. Practice. In June of 2013, a flood forecast of 20.5 feet spurred the community to flood-fighting mode. We learned how those Hesco barriers work and also put in practice some new procedures we learned from '08. Most of us were sand bag beginners; now we have learned how to most-effectively fill, tie, deliver and place them.

    Our people. While hundreds this week have shown the same level of commitment we remember from 2008, the above three things make our collective work way more effective. But still, when this is over, and those who otherwise would be feeling the burden of flood damage only have to deal with removing sand bags, it will be because they have so many neighbors who care.

    Meanwhile upstream, our neighbors in LaPorte City, have been preparing as well. Photo Courtesy of Shelly Hopkins.