500 year flood?

In 1993 Des Moines experienced a terrible flood, resulting in the loss of drinking water in the city for twenty days. We have considered the flood of 1993 a 500 year flood. I was confident I would never see anything like that again.

Here it is fifteen years later, in 2008, and we are experiencing even worse flooding. How did 500 years pass so quickly? The explanation around the water cooler at work is that we caught the tail end of the last 500 year cycle in 1993, and are starting out the new 500 year cycle with another flood!

This time we are in no danger of losing our water supply, thanks to the work done following the last episode. The levees around the water treatment plant are much higher and the equipment and buildings are safe. Unfortunately, many homes and businesses are not safe. They are inundated with water -- again.

There is flooding all over the state. The following photos, which are printed in the Des Moines Register, show what is happening in downtown Des Moines (you can see Court Avenue under water). The rivers will crest some time this weekend, so what you see here is not the worst we will experience.