Editing Cedar Rapids, Iowa (section)

==History==
[[File:Guaranty Bank & Trust - Cedar-Rapids, Iowa.jpg|thumb|[[Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District]] ]]
[[File:Downtown Cedar Rapids.jpg|thumb|Second Avenue SE in downtown Cedar Rapids, looking towards the Cedar River]]

===Early history===
The location of present-day Cedar Rapids was in the territory of the [[Meskwaki]] and [[Sauk people|Sauk]] peoples at the time of European American settlement.

The first settler on the site of the future city was Osgood Shepherd, who built a log cabin (which he called a tavern) in 1837 or 1838 next to the [[Cedar River (Iowa River)|Cedar River]] (then known as the Red Cedar) at what is now the corner of First Avenue and First Street Northeast. Shepherd was a squatter who claimed the land without legal title and also a reputed ne'er-do-well, who, if he was not a horse thief himself, definitely consorted with them. Early on, it appears that he "jumped the claim" of another squatter, Wilbert Stone, who had built a cabin and platted out a town, some distance south of Shepherd's cabin, that he called Columbus. Shepherd drove Stone across the river, claiming that Stone had built his cabin on Shepherd's land, then sold Stone's cabin to a buyer named Hull. Shepherd later tried the same tactic with perhaps the first settler on the west side of the river, Robert Ellis, but Ellis happened to be chopping wood at the time and warned that someone would be dead if Shepherd did not retreat.<ref>{{Cite book|title=History of Linn County Iowa, From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time|last=Brewer|first=Luther|publisher=Forgotten Books|year=2012 |edition=Reprint of 1911 |location=Chicago|pages=307, et seq}}</ref>

The true founders of the city were [[George Greene (judge)|George Greene]], Nicholas Brown, and a few others. Brown had experience as a miller and Greene had surveyed much of eastern Iowa,<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The Story of Cedar Rapids|last=Murray|first=Janet Stevenson and Frederick Gray|publisher=Stratford House|year=1950|location=New York|pages=3}}</ref> so both saw the value of the spot Shepherd had claimed. It was right next to the rapids—a prime spot to build a mill—the last set of rapids on the river before the Cedar fed into the Iowa River, meaning that goods milled on the spot could be carried by boat down river to the Mississippi. In 1841, they formed a partnership that bought out Shepherd's claim and platted out a town they called Rapids City. Brown immediately constructed a primitive dam and then built the town's first mill. His crude dam soon washed away, prompting Greene to induce Alexander Ely, an engineer from Michigan, to build a proper dam that created a [[mill race]] capable of powering several mills.<ref>Murray, p.3</ref>

At this time, the city was confined to the east side of the river. The west bank soon contained a village named Kingston for resident David King who early on operated a rope ferry across the river.

The town was formally incorporated by the Iowa State Legislature on January 15, 1849<ref>Tom Savage (2007). ''A Dictionary of Iowa Place-names''</ref> as Cedar Rapids, named for the [[rapids]] in the Cedar River (the river itself was named for the large number of [[Juniperus virginiana|red cedar]] trees that grew along its banks).<ref>{{cite book|author=Chicago and North Western Railway Company|title=A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OspBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA54|year=1908|page=54 |via=Google Books}}</ref> The population was less than 400.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Czech Village and New Bohemia|last=Rasdal|first=Dave|publisher=The History Press|year=2016|isbn=978-1-46711-761-6|location=Charleston, SC|pages=19}}</ref>

During the 1850s, Cedar Rapids grew in size, and it was during this decade that the Czech population became substantial; when the town was reincorporated in 1856, a quarter of its roughly 1,600 inhabitants were Czech immigrants.<ref>Rasdal, p. 20</ref>  The availability of cheap land in the new state of Iowa happened to coincide with the [[Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire]] that caused a large number of Czechs to flee their homeland and emigrate to the U.S. In 1851, the institution that eventually become [[Coe College]] was founded. In the same decade, there were attempts by local leaders to improve the city's access to distant markets, first through purchase of a steamboat (aptly named ''Cedar Rapids'') and ultimately through investment in a railroad. The first locomotive rolled into town on June 15, 1859.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Tales of the Town: Little Known Anecdotes of Life in Cedar Rapids|last=Clements|first=Ralph|publisher=Stamats Publishing Company|year=1967|location=Cedar Rapids, IA|pages=23}}</ref>

Railroads were an important factor in the development of the state and the growth of cities along the rail lines. By the end of the 19th century, the 23rd largest state was the fifth largest in track mileage.<ref name="auto">{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)|The Gazette]] |title=Union Station was hub of downtown Cedar Rapids |date=June 17, 2012 |url=https://www.thegazette.com/2012/06/17/union-station-was-hub-of-downtown-cedar-rapids}}</ref>

In this same decade, "Major" John May, an inventor and land speculator, purchased the island (now called "[[Mays Island|May's Island]]") situated between Cedar Rapids and Kingston with the intention of founding a town he called May Island. When that scheme proved impractical due to the island's tendency to flood, he conceived the idea of making his island the center of a larger city that spanned the river and convinced the state legislature to officially name the land he had bought there, just south of Kingston, "West Cedar Rapids."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/portraitbiograph00chap_10|title=Portrait and Biographical Album of Linn County, Iowa|publisher=Chapman Brothers|year=1887|location=Chicago|pages=[https://archive.org/details/portraitbiograph00chap_10/page/761 761]}}</ref>

Cedar Rapids [[Municipal annexation|annexed]] the community of Kingston in 1870 and constructed an iron bridge across the river along the line of the current Third Avenue bridge.

The economic growth of Cedar Rapids increased in 1871 upon the founding of the Sinclair [[meatpacking]] company. The plant allowed for year-round meatpacking because ice could be harvested from the Cedar River in winter to chill an icehouse, and within a few years it became one of the largest factories of its kind in the country, employing 400 people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.brucemore.org/history/people/sinclair/|title=The Sinclair Family|website=Brucemore.org}}</ref> In 1873, the oatmeal mill that ultimately became the flagship operation of the [[Quaker Oats Company]] - and the largest cereal mill in the world - was built.

In 1909, the city acquired May's Island for the purpose of making it the seat of government; then, as now, there were ill feelings between east- and west-siders in Cedar Rapids, and the city's leaders hoped that putting City Hall in the "neutral territory" of the island would help ease tensions. In 1919, the residents of Linn County voted to move the county seat from [[Marion, Iowa|Marion]] to Cedar Rapids, partially because Cedar Rapids had offered to donate the southern third of the island as a site for a new county courthouse and jail.

===Flood of 2008===
[[File:Dairy Queen, Cedar Rapids, June 12 2008.jpg|thumb|Flooded Business District on June 12, 2008]]
During the [[Iowa flood of 2008]], the Cedar River reached a record high of {{convert|31.12|ft|m}} on June 13 (the previous record was {{convert|20|ft|m}}), surpassing the 500-year [[flood plain]]. 1,126 [[city block]]s were flooded, or more than {{convert|10|sqmi|km2}}, and 561 city blocks were severely damaged, on both banks of the [[Cedar River (Iowa River)|Cedar River]], comprising 14% of the city's total area. 7,749 flooded properties had to be evacuated, including 5,900 homes and 310 city facilities, among them the [[Seat of local government|City Hall]], Central Fire Station, [[Cedar Rapids Public Library|Main Public Library]], Ground Transportation Center, Public Works building, and the Animal Control building. It is estimated that at least 1,300 properties in the Cedar Rapids area had to be demolished because of the flood, which caused several billions of dollars in damages. More than 4,000 members of the Iowa National Guard were activated to assist the city. The temporary levees became saturated not only with the flood waters but also with additional rainfall, causing them to fail.<ref name="CRflood2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.cedar-rapids.org/government/departments/public-works/engineering/Flood%20Protection%20Information/Pages/2008FloodFacts.aspx|title=Flood of 2008 Facts & Statistics|publisher=City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa|access-date=June 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617084557/http://www.cedar-rapids.org/government/departments/public-works/engineering/Flood%20Protection%20Information/Pages/2008FloodFacts.aspx|archive-date=June 17, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=AgDayEvacuated>{{cite news | last = Blin | first = Crystal | title = Cedar River Expected to Crest, Town Evacuated | url = http://www.agweb.com/article/cedar-river-expected-to-crest-town-evacuated-naa-ashley-davenport/ | work = [[AgDay]] | date = September 27, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160928165256/http://www.agweb.com/article/cedar-river-expected-to-crest-town-evacuated-naa-ashley-davenport/ | archive-date = September 28, 2016 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

Until the flood, the city's government was headquartered in [[Veterans Memorial Building (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)|the Veterans Memorial Building]], near the [[Linn County Courthouse (Iowa)|Linn County Courthouse]] and jail on [[Mays Island]] in the Cedar River; it was designed to be the only island used in this manner in North and South America.<ref name="History">{{cite web|url=http://www.downtowncr.org/gettoknowus_downtownhistory.asp|title=Downtown History sourced from Cedar Rapids History Center|author=Mark Hunter|year=2005|publisher=Cedar Rapids Downtown District|access-date=June 14, 2008|archive-date=May 9, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509161814/http://www.downtowncr.org/gettoknowus_downtownhistory.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Flood of 2016===
During the flood of 2016, remnants of [[Hurricane Paine]] from the eastern [[Pacific Ocean]] via the [[Gulf of California]] caused the second highest recorded crest of the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, reaching {{convert|22|ft|m}} on September 27.<ref>{{cite news | title = Hurricane Paine Named in Pacific Could Bring Rain to Southwest | url = https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/hurricane-paine-named-in-pacific-could-bring-rain-to-southwest | work = [[The Weather Channel]] | date = September 19, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016 | archive-date = October 1, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161001191339/https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/hurricane-paine-named-in-pacific-could-bring-rain-to-southwest | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Tropical Storm Paine Will Bring Rain to the Southwest | url = https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/tropical-storm-paine-will-bring-rain-to-the-southwest-0 | work = The Weather Channel | date = September 20, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016 | archive-date = October 1, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161001234425/https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/tropical-storm-paine-will-bring-rain-to-the-southwest-0 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Tropical Storm Paine Weakens as it Nears Land | url = https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/tropical-storm-paine-weakens-as-it-nears-land | work = The Weather Channel | date = September 26, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016 | archive-date = October 1, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161001201350/https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/tropical-storm-paine-weakens-as-it-nears-land | url-status = dead }}</ref> The inundation of southern Minnesota, central and western Wisconsin, and northeastern Iowa by Hurricane Paine's remnants began on September 21 and 22 and continued until the end of the month.<ref name=TWC>{{cite news | last = Erdman | first = Jon | title = Upper Midwest Flooding Recap September 2016 | url = https://weather.com/storms/severe/news/flash-flood-forecast-midwest-sep2016 | work = The Weather Channel | date = September 23, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016}}</ref><ref name=AgDay27>{{cite news | title = AgDay Daily Recap -September 27, 2016 | url = http://www.agweb.com/article/agday-daily-recap--september-27-2016-naa-agday-tv/ | work = AgDay | date = September 27, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161002115022/http://www.agweb.com/article/agday-daily-recap--september-27-2016-naa-agday-tv/ | archive-date = October 2, 2016 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name=AgDay28>{{cite news | title = AgDay Daily Recap -September 28, 2016 | url = http://www.agweb.com/article/agday-daily-recap--september-28-2016-naa-agday-tv/ | work = AgDay | date = September 28, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161002130207/http://www.agweb.com/article/agday-daily-recap--september-28-2016-naa-agday-tv/ | archive-date = October 2, 2016 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name=woitvFlood24>{{cite news | last = Pavlak | first = Shanna | title = Iowa, Wisconsin face flood threat with swollen rivers: Evacuations underway in Cedar Rapids, Iowa | url = http://www.weareiowa.com/news/iowa-wisconsin-face-flood-threat-with-swollen-rivers | work = [[WOI-DT|WOI tv]] | agency = [[CNN]] | date = September 24, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016 | archive-date = October 2, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161002070705/http://www.weareiowa.com/news/iowa-wisconsin-face-flood-threat-with-swollen-rivers | url-status = dead }}</ref> The cresting in Cedar Rapids was below the initial estimate of {{convert|25|ft|m}} and the revised estimate of {{convert|23|ft|m}}, but more than {{convert|10|ft|m}} above the flood stage of {{convert|12|ft|m}}.<ref name=NOAARiverGauge>{{cite web | title = Cedar River at Cedar Rapids | url = http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=dvn&gage=cidi4 | work = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] | access-date = September 28, 2016}}</ref><ref name=WHOTVFlood>{{cite news | last = Maricle | first = Kelly | title = River Level Forecast Drops but Cedar Rapids Still to See Major Flooding | url = http://whotv.com/2016/09/26/river-level-forecast-drops-but-cedar-rapids-still-to-see-major-flooding/ | work = [[WHO-DT|WHO tv]] | location = Des Moines | date = September 26, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016}}</ref><ref name=GazetteFlood>{{cite news | title = Gazette Flood Center 2016 | url = http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/flood-2016 | newspaper = [[The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)|The Gazette]] | access-date = September 28, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160928222311/http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/flood-2016 | archive-date = September 28, 2016 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}</ref> The flood was above levels considered to have about a 1% chance of occurring in a given year.<ref name=DMRegisterLevee>{{cite news | last = Aschbrenner | first = Joel | title = 8 years after flood, Cedar Rapids lacks new levees | url = http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/weather/2016/09/23/iowa-flooding-cedar-rapids-still-lacks-levees-years-later/90908190/ | newspaper = [[The Des Moines Register]] | date = September 23, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016}}</ref>{{efn|The September 2016 flood level is misleadingly referred to as the ''"once in a 100-year flood"''.<ref name=DMRegisterLevee/>}} More than 5,000 homes were affected, causing over 5,000 people to evacuate.<ref name=DMRegisterLevee/><ref name=AgDayEvacuated/><ref name=GazetteEvacuationMap>{{cite news | title = New Cedar Rapids evacuation map | url = http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/flood-2016/new-cedar-rapids-evacuation-map-20160928 | newspaper = The Gazette | date = September 28, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016}}</ref><ref name=DMRegisterUpstream>{{cite news | last1 = Petrosky | first1 = William | last2 = Leys | first2 = Tony | title = Residents of 5,000 Cedar Rapids homes asked to evacuate | url = http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2016/09/25/cedar-rapids-iowa-floods-cedar-river-evacuate/91078970/ | newspaper = The Des Moines Register | date = September 25, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016}}</ref> The [[Cedar Rapids Community School District|Cedar Rapids Schools]] were closed for a week.<ref name=GazetteNeedToKnow>{{cite news | last = Gazette Staff | title = Cedar Rapids Flood 2016: What you need to know: The latest flood news, closures, volunteer information and more | url = http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/flood-2016/cedar-rapids-flood-2016-what-you-need-to-know-20160927 | newspaper = The Gazette | date = September 27, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016}}</ref>

In 2015, Cedar Rapids approved a $625 million flood protection plan over 20 years for levee improvements.<ref name=DMRegisterLevee/> Although the improvement to the levee system in Cedar Rapids had not been completed due to over $80 million in funding not appropriated by the [[United States Congress]]es of [[114th United States Congress|2014]] and [[114th United States Congress|2016]] and the voting down by local residents of a temporary increase in the local sales tax to pay for the levee improvements,{{efn|$15 million in revenues are expected from a 2016 passage of a local sales tax increase to provide some funding for levee improvements.<ref name=DMRegisterLevee/>}} out of school students along with hundreds of thousands of volunteers and 412 Iowa National Guard troops filled more than a quarter of a million sandbags in a successful effort to prevent any major flooding of the city outside the evacuation zone.<ref name=DMRegisterLevee/><ref name=SentTribLevee>{{cite news | title = Iowa city braces for highest floodwaters since 2008 record | url = http://www.sent-trib.com/news/iowa-city-braces-for-highest-floodwaters-since-record/article_8b17cd82-84c3-11e6-a2c6-5fbd284fac12.html | newspaper = Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune | location = [[Bowling Green, Ohio|Bowling Green]] | agency = [[Associated Press]] | date = September 27, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016 | archive-date = August 28, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210828202936/https://www.sent-trib.com/news/iowa-city-braces-for-highest-floodwaters-since-record/article_8b17cd82-84c3-11e6-a2c6-5fbd284fac12.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> A {{convert|9.8|mi|km|adj=on}} system of [[Hesco bastion|Hesco barriers]], earthen berms, and over 400,000 sandbags were used to plug the gaps in the levee system.<ref name=DMRegisterLevee/><ref name=IPR>{{cite news | last1 = Leland | first1 = Michael | last2 = Borg | first2 = Dean | title = Cedar Rapids Sees River Crest, Flood Protection Holding | url = http://iowapublicradio.org/post/cedar-rapids-sees-river-crest-flood-protection-holding#stream/0 | work = [[Iowa Public Radio]] | date = September 27, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016}}</ref><ref name=WHOHesco>{{cite news | last = Whitworth | first = Jodi | title = Cedar Rapids' Levee Protection System Battling Floods | url = http://whotv.com/2016/09/27/cedar-rapids-levee-protection-system-battling-floods/ | work = WHO tv | location = Des Moines | date = September 27, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016}}</ref> The city of Cedar Rapids purchased additional Hesco barriers from Iowa City for $1.4 million.<ref name=KCCIHesco>{{cite news | title = Flood Summary: Thousands will return home Wednesday | url = http://www.kcci.com/news/flood-summary-temporary-floodwalls-continue-to-hold/41861348 | work = [[KCCI]] | location = Des Moines | date = September 28, 2016 | access-date = September 28, 2016}}</ref> Numerous upstream cities that had been earlier affected by the September flooding and mandatory evacuations, including [[Charles City, Iowa|Charles City]], [[Greene, Iowa|Greene]], [[Manchester, Iowa|Manchester]], [[Clarksville, Iowa|Clarksville]], [[Shell Rock, Iowa|Shell Rock]], [[Vinton, Iowa|Vinton]], [[Janesville, Iowa|Janesville]], [[Cedar Falls, Iowa|Cedar Falls]] and [[Waterloo, Iowa|Waterloo]], sent hundreds of thousands of unused sandbags to support efforts in Cedar Rapids and nearby communities.<ref name=AgDay27/><ref name=DMRegisterUpstream/> The remnants of Hurricane Paine did not produce any rain to saturate the temporary earth berms and sandbags, which would have greatly increased the likelihood of breach in the temporary levee structures, causing a much greater flooded area; the river crested during very sunny weather. Additionally, beginning on September 25, 300 to 400 National Guard troops along with the Iowa State Patrol, other law enforcement agencies, and 60 duly sworn law enforcement officials enforced a nightly 8pm to 7am curfew.<ref name=DMRegisterUpstream/><ref name=GazetteNeedToKnow/><ref name=SentTribLevee/>

=== August 10, 2020, Midwest derecho ===
On August&nbsp;10, 2020, [[August 2020 Midwest derecho|an intense derecho]] formed over the [[Midwest]] and moved eastward across [[Iowa]], with Cedar Rapids being the hardest-hit city. Sustained winds of {{convert|60|to|80|mph|kph}}, frequent [[Wind gust|gusts]] of {{convert|110|mph|kph}} or greater, and an estimated peak gust of {{convert|140|mph|kph}} on the southwest side of the city damaged the majority of residential and commercial buildings in Cedar Rapids, as well as 20 schools, and resulted in the closure of most local businesses.<ref>{{Cite web|last=US Department of Commerce|first=NOAA|title=Midwest Derecho - August 10, 2020, Updated: 8/20/20 11 am|url=https://www.weather.gov/dvn/summary_081020|access-date=September 12, 2020|website=weather.gov}}</ref> Thousands of trees were downed throughout all 75 square miles of Cedar Rapids. Most of the city's roads became mostly blocked or impassible due to downed trees and blown limbs, power poles along with their lines, and general debris, like large road signs, as well as damaged buildings, homes, and farms. 95% of the city was without power. Trash pickup stopped, cell phone service was very spotty for multiple days, and many gas leaks were reported.<ref name="press-citizen.com">{{Cite web|last1=Bridgeman|first1=Megan|last2=Ojeda|first2=Hillary|date=August 10, 2020|title=What we know about derecho storm damage in Iowa City|url=https://www.press-citizen.com/story/weather/2020/08/10/derecho-storm-iowa-city-damage-power-outage/3338604001/|access-date=August 15, 2020|website=Iowa City Press-Citizen}}</ref> [[Interstate 380 (Iowa)|Interstate 380]] was closed between Cedar Rapids and [[Iowa City]].<ref name="press-citizen.com"/>

Hospitals treated over 300&nbsp;patients for storm related injuries. Professional estimates suggested that cleanup and removal of the city's downed trees could take months. Arborists urged residents not to clear trees on their own, in order to avoid injury.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Iowa storm updates: Latest on power outages, cleanup in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City areas, Aug. 12|url=https://www.thegazette.com/news/iowa-storm-derecho-cleanup-power-outages-cedar-rapids-iowa-city-linn-county-johnson-aug-12|access-date=August 15, 2020|website=[[The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)|The Gazette]] |location=Cedar Rapids}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Samenow|first=Jason|date=August 14, 2020|title=Cedar Rapids and nearby Iowa communities, still in shambles days after destructive derecho, plead for help|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/08/14/cedar-rapids-iowa-derecho/|access-date=August 16, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Breese|first=Travis|date=August 16, 2020|title=Out-of-town tree-trimmers expect to be in Cedar Rapids for months|url=http://kwwl.com/2020/08/15/out-of-town-tree-trimmers-expect-to-be-in-cedar-rapids-for-months/|access-date=August 16, 2020|publisher=KWWL}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Jordan|first=Erin|title=Cedar Rapids loses half its tree canopy in derecho|url=https://www.thegazette.com/cedar-rapids-loses-half-its-tree-canopy-in-derecho-storm-20200815|access-date=August 15, 2020|website=[[The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)|The Gazette]] |location=Cedar Rapids}}</ref>

On Friday, August&nbsp;14, Governor [[Kim Reynolds]] arrived in Cedar Rapids, accompanied by Adjutant General Benjamin Corell of the Iowa National Guard. Gen. Corell said he had not seen a comparable level of damage since [[Hurricane Katrina]] in 2005. Other city officials described the damage as being even worse than the [[Iowa flood of 2008]].<ref name=":15">{{Cite web|date=August 14, 2020|title="We're Here Now": Governor Reynolds, National Guard finally arrive in Cedar Rapids on Friday|url=http://kwwl.com/2020/08/14/watch-live-gov-reynolds-holds-news-conference-from-cedar-rapids-updating-on-storm-relief/|access-date=August 16, 2020|publisher=KWWL News 7}}</ref>