Frustrating Wait

Legions of downtown business owners converged on the First Ave Parkade parking garage with hopes officials would, as promised, let them go through the skywalk system and have a first look at what the flood wrought.

They first showed up at 11 a.m., but were told that safety inspections and air quality readings had to be done first. They were told to come back at 2:30. As far as I know, they'll get in.

"There's a lot of disappointed people," said City Council member Pat Shey, who was standing outside the garage as people drove off. "People are waiting for this moment."

Some folks did get in before they shut the skywalks down, and what they said they saw was sobering -- broken windows, debris, ground floors inundated with water and muck. Never mind the heat and darkness and "interesting odors" as one guy put it.

Watching these folks waiting for a chance to get in, with anxious, anguished and sweaty faces, was heartbreaking. They stood around with plastic tubs and carts and bags hoping there would be something left to salvage and haul out. They talked with those who did get in, and as I said above, there was little good news.

"I thought by the time we got people rounded up, we could walk in," said a frustrated John Hansen, an employee at Farm Financial Strategies, a ground-floor firm at 123 3rd Street SE. He wore rubber boots and wanted to put them to good use as soon as possible.

These are also determined people. And if they can get some help, they look like the type of people who can rebuild and recover. The city's staggering economy depends on it.

The scanner behind me is chattering about a tornado warning for Tama County to the west. When we going to catch a break?