Progress and persistence

By The Gazette Editorial Board

Doing a score card on recovery progress two years after Iowa's historic flood of 2008 is no small task. Our company's newspaper, television and online staff spent weeks pulling together the achievements and the setbacks, the inspiring stories and those of ongoing frustration and heartbreak. Those accounts presented during the past week reflect the scope of the recovery effort in Eastern Iowa and Cedar Rapids, where damage was so extensive.

It's significant that today's page 1A story focuses largely on “silver linings” - plans and projects that, ironically, are moving ahead faster than they would have without the epic flood that forced the hand of change. The influx of hundreds of millions of non-local disaster and economic development dollars are pushing these projects ahead at a faster pace. And our communities' can-do spirit and financial commitments also are making things happen.

Just as important, the series of reports shows that hundreds of individuals and small businesses ravaged financially and emotionally by the flood still struggle mightily to cope and find hope for their future. They deserve our attention and help.

And while most of us want things to happen faster, we also must keep in mind that full recovery will take a decade or longer, no matter how efficiently the government, private sector and economy mesh. Long-term persistence is in order.

Meanwhile, there are reasons to celebrate. Major projects long on the drawing board are advancing more quickly in the post-flood era - the new Cedar Rapids Public Library and federal courthouse, expansion of the National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library, the U.S. Cellular Center upgrade and new convention center, among the largest. New affordable housing to replace flooded houses and rentals is springing up. Major building projects in Iowa City and at the University of Iowa are at hand. The small town of Palo already has built more homes than those destroyed. Elsewhere, Decorah, Anamosa and Elkader are close to completing flood repairs.

Yet too many individual flood victims still hang on the edge of financial ruin. Small businesses are going out of business even when much designated financial help is stuck in government pipelines.

Within the third year of flood recovery, we expect to see many more signs of progress. More building than tearing down. Finish all home and business buyouts. Congress OKs a flood protection plan for Cedar Rapids with sufficient federal funding.

And help finally delivered to deserving residents and small business owners.