Iowa Flood Stories

The Cedar River changed the course of many lives in June 2008.
This Web site is an effort to preserve the stories of the people who went through this unprecedented, historic flood.
The site contains information, stories and images, involving more than 7,300 homes and businesses damaged by the flood in  Cedar Rapids. The information is organized by address and can be searched by address or business name using the search box and map below.
The photo and video galleries include Gazette images as well as those uploaded to public sites like Flickr and YouTube.
The database will continue to grow as your stories are added.
This documentation  is a collaboration of The Carl and Mary Koehler History Center, Coe College, Mount Mercy College and you – for the purpose of preserving your stories and photographs for future generations.
Please share your stories about the flood and its aftermath. Use the Submit Your Story link at the top of this page to tell your story or to upload photos you have.

Featured Stories - Click on thumbnail to see story

Markers on the map below are associated with placard colors which were assigned to flooded properties immediately following the June 2008 flood. While the city no longer refers to the property placard colors, the markers indicate levels of damage. Note: Markers on the map default to Green when placard color is unknown or the property was not assigned a placard.

Purple: Unsafe, house should be demolished Red: Unsafe, serious damage Yellow: Enter at your own risk Green: Safe for occupancy