Come hell or high water

Ames is flooding. This came as a surprise to me today, since the thunderstorms last night didn't seem any more devastating than normal. Here's a pic from our porch:

















This is the worst our parking lot has flooded since we've lived here. Luckily my car is on the dry part, but this means I can't (or at least shouldn't try) getting around that corner right now. Good thing I didn't have to work today! So, when I saw that this morning I was kind of surprised. Then I talked to my friend Tara. She sent me pics from her apartment building, which has now lost power and has water on the first floor:


















Just a little worse!! She managed to get her car moved to higher ground, and her fiance had to come home from work (in Des Moines) so they could push his motorcycle out of the water. Luckily they have a second floor apartment so they should be okay.

The reason they are flooding so bad is that they are near Squaw Creek, which floods at 9 feet and at the last update was at nearly 16 feet. A nursing home had to be evacuated, and parts of Duff Ave., Stange Rd., and University Blvd. (formerly Elwood Dr.) are closed. Hopefully the water will stop rising soon.

//edit: Now Highway 30 is closed where you get on I-35, so I'm going to have to hope I can take 13th all the way to 35 tomorrow or I may not make it to work.