Traveling across eastern Iowa and Illinois this past week we got a look at some of the areas that were affected by the flooding.  I-80 looks good… the section that had been flooded looks normal… I didn’t realize what it was until I had driven over it.  Some corn crops, which have probably been replanted at least once, were looking good in many areas although still not as tall as they would normally be by now.  Many low-lying areas are just unplanted.

In Illinois, the water appears to be still a big problem.  Drove across the Mississippi River, and it’s just brown with stirred up silt, mud and debris.  Fields are still under water.  Driving down I-74 and into Peoria, a lot of water still out of the banks or sitting in areas where the ground cannot yet absorb it.  The Illinois River is also very brown.  As we got into eastern Illinois, conditions seemed to improve.

I’m sure that southern Iowa looks a good deal like the sections of Illinois we traveled.  We continue to pray for those affected.  In Des Moines, the City is looking to purchase some of the homes that were severely damaged in the Birdland area.  One town (I believe it was Oakville) in southeast Iowa may not rebuild at all. 

There’s a state committee to work through rebuilding the areas that were hit hard by tornados and flooding this year.  It will be interesting to see how effectively that group succeeds in postively impacting Iowa communities.

We’ll have more to share in the future, I’m sure.  It is very sad.  Please pray.