Cedar Rapids flood czar takes on a tough job

Standing on the lawn of a flood-damaged Cedar Rapids home, eight blocks from the river that consumed 10 square miles of the city last year, Greg Eyerly was hearing it from residents.

The city has been too slow to act. Debris from the flood hasn't been picked up. Landlords won't fix rental houses, and the properties are becoming a hazard.

Eyerly, the city's new flood-recovery director, listened quietly last week during an introductory walk around the neighborhood. He nodded, asked a few questions and crossed the street.

When he was just out of earshot, flood victim Linda Seger let her feelings be known.

“I think no matter what kind of job he does, the city government's going to suck him up,” she said. “They could have brought in Jesus, and they wouldn't be happy.”

Eyerly started work July 13, and to say he's gotten himself into a tough job is an understatement. The June 2008 flood caused an estimated $6 billion in damage in Cedar Rapids, ranking it among the top five natural disasters in U.S. history. Hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal aid has flowed into the city, but it feels like a slow drip to many residents deciding whether to rebuild or move.

Eyerly came to Iowa after 16 years as a sales and operations manager for private companies. Four months after he took a job as Cedar Rapids' utilities operations manager, the Cedar River crested at 31.12 feet and flooded the city.

Eyerly managed water and wastewater facilities overwhelmed by the rush of water, pushing for a faster response from regulatory agencies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Since the flood, two sides have emerged: the flood victims in low-income neighborhoods, and the downtown development groups who envision a new city that can avoid the planning mistakes of the past.

Some of the more vocal flood victims, like Frank King, believe the city is waiting out poor residents so it can buy their properties cheap.

“People look at this from two entirely different perspectives: flood survivors versus optimists,” King said. “I like Greg - he certainly did well with his flood-related tasks - but the city has somewhat engaged in economic cleansing. The people hit the most were the people with the least.”

Seger echoed his comments.

“A lot of decisions were made by people with dry basements,” she said.

Eyerly, 44, resists the idea of a burgeoning class struggle. He said the city is trying to get residents and businesses alike back on their feet. He's hesitant to directly address the politics of the situation.

“All I can do now is look forward,” he said.

Convinced the flood-recovery director job would be a thankless slog through red tape, Eyerly nearly didn't apply. He even came up with 13 reasons for not taking the job and e-mailed them to some supporters and friends within city government.

But, he said, the flood-damaged areas of Cedar Rapids reminded him of the working-class neighborhood in Salem, Ore., where he grew up.

“Not taking this job would be like driving by an accident and not stopping,” Eyerly said. “I didn't want to look back in 20 years and wonder what I could have done.”

By Nigel Duara, Associated Press