Corn, apparently, is many things. It is animal feed, human food, and ethanol. I spoke with George Chadima in Fairfax, a farm owner near Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Excessive moisture has caused the nitrogen to be leeched from the soil, which is requiring farmers to buy biologically active fertilizer. The corn that was planted already has been “drowned” by water pooling in areas, and much of the rest was also damaged by a recent hailstorm. Crops, he said, would probably yield 75-80% of what they normally do.

I was shown a warehouse that housed large containers of soybeans yet to be planted. The planting schedule is three weeks behind already due to the weather, and hopefully, he said, they’ll be able to plant within the next couple of days. This is happening to many farmers in Iowa, and the result is going to mean higher prices- in everything.

Corn prices, of course, will go up, since using corn for “human food” or exporting it elsewhere, essentially removes corn from the chain of production. Ethanol, surprisingly, does not create that problem, because after the grain alcohol is removed there are still co-products from the corn, such as animal feed, plastics, and oils. The chain of production includes feeding that corn to animals, and then using the byproducts as fertilizer. Because it is costing more to harvest the corn, and there will be less of it, this will cause beef prices to rise.

As the waters recede from the banks of the Cedar River, Dan Patterson – Cedar Rapids, Iowa native – reports on the extent of known damage. (2:44)

 

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S. Dawn Jones reports on what the farmers in Iowa are discussing. The flooding not only has delayed corn planting but also has removed nitrogen from the soil, both reducing corn yield. Not only will there be less corn on the market, but there will be less food for animals and therefore less fertilizer for other crops. (3:07)

 

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S. Dawn Jones reports on devastation in downtown Cedar Rapids, including buildings with severe structural damage, and displaced fish swimming in the street. (2:01)

 

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S. Dawn Jones interviews James Bell on the cleaning out of a retirement home in preparation for rebuilding. James says he sees devastation everywhere, with everyone throwing their possessions, now trash, on the curb. James explains that he is not able to even return to his home. (2:51)

A photo of the items cleaned out of the building can be seen on our Flickr page.

 

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S. Dawn Jones reports from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where roads are being reopened. Large pools of water remain, and road conditions are muddy. There is still a risk of levee breaches and more flooding. (1:51)

 

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The damage and flooding in New Orleans, LA in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are the yardstick that many people refer to today when evaluating the destruction a large storm can leave behind. How many roads were closed, how many homes were flooded, how high did the water go, and what sort of lasting effect remains to be seen? Those are the questions that are asked, and the severity is frequently compared to NOLA to decide “how bad is it?”

The storm that left areas of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City flooded, is being referred to as “the Katrina of the Midwest.” Crops were damaged, neighborhoods were flooded, and many were shocked to discover that yes, it can happen to you- you, too, can lose everything in the blink of an eye.

I flew to Chicago and drove a rented SUV to Iowa City. Along the way, because bridges were out and roads were closed, I was frequently diverted to side roads and at one point, the road was washed out entirely and my vehicle got stuck in a mud hole. It was pulled out by a very polite farmer named Dustin, using a very big, very green, and very noisy John Deere tractor. They did not seem surprised that I was going to Iowa City.

I had to stop in three places to get directions, even with a GPS, because of the roundabout route I was taking. One woman behind the counter told me she was very tired of people showing up as “lookie-loos” and taking pictures of drowned houses. She also fixed me with a withering look that could melt candle wax, when I asked her if she was following the politics in Washington at all.

I received that same incredulous look from three people today, all of whom refused to actually be interviewed. All three, however, told me the same type of answer: No, because what happens in Washington, does not apparently affect them in any way. A woman actually burst into laughter at the question, and added further that there is no reason for either of the candidates to show up in Iowa to show their support, because “what are they supposed to do, stand in front of the TV and emote for us?”

She, and others on the sidewalk that chimed in, agreed that money should not be spent on having either Senator McCain or Senator Obama show up to survey the damage done in Iowa. Iowa needs their money, they said, and Iowa will take care of its own.

S. Dawn Jones speaks with an Iowa City resident about his sandbagging efforts over the last 5 days. (2:43)

 

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S. Dawn Jones reports on her coming upon the new “lakes” and water flows in Iowa City, Iowa. (1:43)

 

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S. Dawn Jones, car now pulled out of the mud by a friendly farmer, continues to Iowa City. (1:32)

 

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