Iowa State has a serious problem today: flooding

 Central Iowa has been bombarded with heavy rains lately, and Iowa State University's campus is paying for it. Here is a photo of ISU football players sandbagging their Jacobsen Athletic Building Wednesday morning:

(The photos and the following text are from Cyclones.com:

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State football players were sandbagging the Jacobson Building at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday morning as the lake of water that is the Hilton Coliseum parking lot drew steadily closer to the Jacobson Athletic Building, which is headquarters for most of the Cyclone athletics department. There are serious flooding issues at Hilton Coliseum. The Iowa State Soccer Complex was already under water Tuesday night and remains flooded. Water reached the outside of the Olsen Building at around 9:15 a.m.

For a photo album of the flood damage and student-athletes assisting in the relief effort, click on the links slide-out tab located above. For video, click on the video slide-out tab located above. Photos and video will be updated throughout the day, so continue to check back in to cylcones.com.

Iowa State players joined athletics department staff and student trainers and managers, who moved as much football equipment as possible to the Jacobson Building's second floor. The Cyclone sport medicine area was also being cleared of movable equipment. Some items are being stored in the building's atrium, some moved to the second floor. Ironically, the Iowa State football players were at the Jacobson Building for an early morning weight lifting session that is a part of preseason practice.

"We started moving things at around 6:30 a.m.," Iowa State defensive end Rashawn Parker said. "The offense was walking to the Bergstrom (ISU's indoor facility) and the water started coming."

Torrential rains throughout northern Iowa Tuesday have made for serious flooding in different parts of Ames. Many Iowa State personnel were unable to reach Ames because of the closure of parts of U.S. Highway 30 and other main travel arteries, including Lincoln Way and University Drive.

Authorities have said that flood levels from Squaw Creek and other rivers and streams could well exceed those of the 1993 floods that damaged Hilton Coliseum and the rest of the Iowa State Center.