Things have been rather intense around IC lately. As you might know, the Iowa and Cedar rivers (and the Coralville reservoir) have been flooding. Cedar Rapids was especially hard hit, and the University campus here in Iowa City has been partially flooded.
Various newspapers and news sites have covered the details, so I won’t bother with that. It’s been a strange experience, though, living in Iowa.
Thunderstorms, for starters. And we’re not talking minor ones here – these are monster storms, with frighteningly, furiously fast, almost hurrincane-force winds and walls of lightening that, for a split second, can make it bright as day. Hail the size of golf balls. Now I’m from Delhi, and we’ve seen some big storms, but these scare me. Because they’re often accompanied by…
…Tornadoes. I didn’t realize, before I came to Iowa, that tornadoes were clouds. My first year here, my roommate called me to the window the show me the sky when there was a tornado in Cedar Rapids. And a mighty strange sky it was too – purple and green and not at all a normal color. My second year here (or was it the third?) a tornado actually touched down in downtown Iowa City, doing considerable damage to large parts of the East side. We lived in that general area, and I remember thinking that it was a hailstorm just like the ones we get in Delhi. Except for the tornado. It was at night, and we didn’t know that there was a tornado in town. We didn’t know what the sirens meant, and we didn’t have a radio or television on. We didn’t have power, so no internet. What we did have was sheer dumb luck. The tornado hit a block or so from where we lived, and I learnt about it only the next morning. I was, amd continue to be, rightfully terrified of tornadoes. They’re BIG, and scary, and loud, and powerful, and you can’t negotiate with them. So when you’re done with tornado and thunderstorm season, it’s time for…
…Snow. I never ever thought I could feel as cold as I have here in Iowa. Or that snow was as heavy as it is. I’m told that sometimes, in the winter, the wind blows down straight from the Arctic. And into my eyes and nose. I used to wear contact lenses, but gave it up because I swear, the damn things used to freeze in my eyes. So all the years I’ve been here, I’ve had to deal with this biting, cutting, cold, that rips the breath from my lungs and freezes the tears in my eyes. I’ve felt my feet freeze through two pairs of socks and fleece-lined boots. I’ve wept in misery as my frozen hands thawed out from an inadvertent freezing. Every winter I survive and, somehow, enjoy, is a triumph for this sub-tropical girl. This winter, though, was a bit different. For starters, it dumped more snow on Iowa City than, apparently, it has in sixty years. Or so the locals tell me. I’m not a tall person – what’s knee-deep for many is nearly hip-deep for me. Imagine opening (or trying to open) your front door, and being stalled by a three-foot high drift that built up over the long, cold night. It’s not easy.
We shoveled. And shoveled. And shoveled. Until it seemed like that was all we did, all winter long. Arms aching, lungs full of sharp pain. And it was a six-month winter. The snow piled higher and higher, and between high snow and treacherous ice, walking was a hazardous activity. And all the while, winds blew with burning cold, tearing through any hope of ever being rid of the bitter Winter.
Until one day, the snow melted. The sun came out. It was still cold, cold, cold, but not cold enough to stop the snow from melting. It was nice, there, for a while. But all the melting snow meant more runoff, I think, and then, before we could have a proper spring, we slipped into summer and…
…Rain. Weeks of it. Filling the lakes and dams and rivers and streams, pouring off roofs and bringing the earthworms out to play. Have I mentioned how much I dislike earthworms? Mostly because I don’t want to step on them, and that’s really hard to avoid when they’re covering the ground.
Anyway, it’s been an experience living in Iowa, and it will be nice to take a break from this weather and return to Delhi, where I will have a whole new set of things to crib about. While we are not personally affected by the floods here in IC, many people we know are, and our university is. I did as much sandbagging as I could, and retreated home when I realized it might be hard to get back otherwise. I wandered down to the local grocery, not too far away, and took some pictures. Here they are. If you’re from IC, this is the Waterfront/Gilbert/Hwy 6 intersection, near Carousel and the Waterfront Hy-Vee.
