This cache is on private property, but is close to the sidewalk so should be no problem to walk up and grab, as long as you don’t mind the neighbors watching you. Please go to the house with the geocache signs ONLY, do not go onto any other houses’ yards, and do NOT go inside any fences, the cache is not inside a fenced yard.
Please do NOT park on C St, use one of the side roads to park. There is plenty of parking on the side roads.
Cedar Rapids 2008 Flood: On June 13th, 2008 the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids flooded to its highest ever crest of 31.12 feet, covering the Czech Village, Timecheck, Oak Hill and Rompot neighborhoods. Where this cache sits is exactly the high point of where the Cedar River crested in this neighborhood (see pics). My (Jayme) parents bought this house in 1981 (we were the first non-czech family to live here), and my husband and I bought it in 2005. We evacuated on June 11th, and moved back into the 2nd floor of the house in Feb. 2009 (the first floor still needed floors and walls). Although some work is still needed, we have tried hard to restore our house to its original Czech village history and beauty (obviously leaves us little time on the yard).
Short History on the Flood of 2008:
On June 13, 2008, the Cedar River crested to its highest level in Cedar Rapids history, 31.12 feet. The previous record reached only 20 feet. The flood waters penetrated 10 square miles or 14 percent of the city. This monumental flood impacted 7,198 parcels, including 5,390 houses, dislocated more than 18,000 residents and damaged 310 City facilities.
Flood Magnitude
· 31.12 feet – Record-setting crest of Cedar River on Friday, June 13, 2008
· More than 10 square miles (14%) of the City impacted by floodwaters
· 1,126 city blocks impacted (561 severely damaged)
· 41,771 tons of flood debris removed
· 0 - Amazingly there were zero flood-related deaths
People
· 18,623 estimated persons lived in flood-impacted area
· 10,000 estimated residents were displaced by flood
· 120 families in flood areas receiving Section 8 housing assistance
· 1,360 estimated job loss as a result of the flood
· 45 registered day-care providers damaged, displacing 1,547 children
· 1,800 elementary students were displaced
· 423 boat rescues performed by Cedar Rapids firefighters
Property
· 7,749 total parcels flooded
· Of those, 5,900 residential properties flooded (56% were owner-occupied; 34% were rental properties)
· 310 City facilities flooded (estimate $500 million to repair and rebuild)
· 1,300 estimated flood-damaged properties will be demolished
Services
· 6 major City buildings damaged and displaced - Veterans Memorial Building (home to city hall), Central Fire Station, Animal Control building, Public Works building, Ground Transportation Center (city transportation hub) and main public library (310 total City facilities were impaced by the Flood of 2008)
· Cedar Rapids Community School District central offices and elementary school flooded and displaced
· 8 iconic cultural assets displaced and destroyed, including museums, theaters and cultural centers
· 3 of 4 city collector wells and 46 vertical wells disabled
· 486 property tax-exempt facilities damaged (government, schools, churches, nonprofits, etc.)
· 136 other properties damaged (utilities, railroads, etc.)