An Iowa Thing: Stories from the Flood

In early June of this year, Iowa City was among the many Midwest towns and cities hit by floods. As the Iowa River rose, parts of the city were evacuated and the water left homes and significant portions of the University of Iowa campus severely damaged. Just four months later, I traveled to Iowa City with fellow Facilitator, Kate, to record conversations as part of the University of Iowa Library’s flood story archive. During three days of recording we heard about dangerous waters, last-minute evacuation, and the devastating damage to homes and buildings. But what we also heard again and again was how people came together in the days before the flood.

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