116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Gazette, KCRG to partner on flood anniversary event
CEDAR RAPIDS - The Gazette is partnering with KCRG-TV9 for Epic Rebirth, a celebration of community spirit, designed to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2008 flood, one of the most costly natural disasters in the nation's history.
The free event, sponsored by Mercy Medical Center, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 13, at the Veterans Memorial Building on May's Island in downtown Cedar Rapids.
The Cedar River crested at 31.12 feet in Cedar Rapids on June 13, 2008, far higher than at any point in recorded history. The flood caused an estimated $5 billion in damage and loss, according to federal estimates.
The city forever changed as a result.
The June 13 event will feature live performances, interviews and presentations recalling the critical moments of the flood, how the city has bounced back and what is to come.
The schedule includes:
' 4:30 p.m. community showcase: Live music and entertainment, along with community stations displaying achievements since 2008 and information about upcoming events and initiatives.
' 6 p.m. program: KCRG anchors Bruce Aune and Beth Malicki will host a 90-minute live broadcast featuring interview-style segments about the rebuild, development milestones and the emerging flood-control system, with segments involving key players in the flood and the recovery. The event will close with performance by Theatre Cedar Rapids and Voices of Hope.
Community sponsors include Linn County, Veterans Memorial Commission, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Building Trades Council, Built By Pros, Black Sheep Social Club and Clock House Brewing
In addition to the event, The Gazette is recognizing the 10th anniversary with a special commemorative section to be published June 10, along with additional coverage in print and online.
More information is available online at TheGazette.com/epicrebirth/event.
l Comments: (319) 339-3177; brian.morelli@thegazette.com
The Cedar River rises around City Hall and May's Island on June 12, 2008, the day before the river crested in the worst flood in the history of Cedar Rapids. The Gazette and KCRG-TV9 are presenting a community celebration June 13 at Veterans Memorial Building on May's Island to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2008 flood. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
Floodwaters maroon buildings in downtown Cedar Rapids on June 13, 2008, the day the river crested at 31.12 feet. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
Diane Stanek (right) clutches the arm of her father, Vince Fiala, as he expresses his frustrations June 15, 2008, about being unable to access his home in southwest Cedar Rapids. The photo became a national symbol of the anguish felt by thousands of his fellow flood victims. Fiala spent weeks rebuilding the three homes he owned in the flood zone, saying he and his wife, Barb, never considered moving.
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