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Follow us on TwitterA year ago, Iowa’s second-largest city was devoured by flood waters, claiming 10-square miles of Cedar Rapids, an area that included several residential neighborhoods as well as the downtown and cultural districts. While no individuals lost their lives during the floods, the economic damage remains staggering. Progress has been made in Cedar Rapids during the past year, but the truth is that much remains to be done.
June 12, 2008 -- Veterans Memorial Coliseum in downtown Cedar Rapids is one of the city's most notable buildings. It stands on Mays Island in the middle of the Cedar River, connected to the banks by the 2nd Avenue Bridge. All of the facilities on Mays Island were decimated by the flood.
June 11, 2009 — The building remains vacant and its future uncertain, despite numerous visits from state and federal officials. The bridge itself is being repaired and continues to carry traffic across the river.
June 12, 2008 — The Cedar River, not yet at its crest, poured across the 2nd Avenue Bridge in downtown Cedar Rapids.
June 11, 2009 — The waters now flow beneath the bridge and repairs continue.
June 12, 2008 — Looking west on 3rd Avenue SE in downtown Cedar Rapids. At this point the river had traveled roughly four city blocks into the downtown area. This photo was taken the day before the river crested.
June 11, 2009 -- Not all of downtown has reopened, and many businesses — especially those on the street level — continue to repair and remodel their facilities. It isn't unusual to see dumpsters at on downtown streets, fed by large orange or yellow debris pipes from the upper floors of buildings.
June 12, 2008 -- The Linn County Courthouse and the 3rd Avenue Bridge were swallowed by the Cedar River.
June 11, 2009 -- The 3rd Avenue bridge has also undergone repairs and is open to traffic. The courthouse reopened all but the first floor in September 2008.
June 11, 2008 — A riverfront recreation area on the west bank of the Cedar River filled quickly with flood water.
June 11, 2009 — Although the flood waters stripped away most things that weren't bolted down — along with some that were — the downtown riverfront parks and recreation areas have been restored and are open to the public.
June 15, 2008 — When the flood waters receded, business owners and residents were left with a lot of muck and debris to clear.
June 11, 2009 — No one in the immediate area could say what happened to the tree that formerly stood at this location on 2nd Street SE.
June 15, 2008 — One of the city’s landmark sculptures, “Between Friends,” a work created by Ann Royer and dedicated in November 1992, lies humiliated on the sidewalk next to its base.
June 11, 2009 — The statue has been remounted at its original location, while renovations continue on surrounding buildings.
November 27, 2008 — Nearly six months after the flood, one of the greatest continued sorrows in Cedar Rapids was the number of damaged residential properties whose futures were uncertain.
June 11, 2008 — The sorrow in residential neighborhoods continue. A year later, several properties still face uncertain futures as the city plans future green space and state agencies develop new flood control measures.
