Iowa storm updates: Latest on power outages, cleanup in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City areas, Aug. 12

Here are the latest updates on storm cleanup, power outages and more in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas for Wednesday, Aug. 12. Gazette staff will continue to update this article as information is available throughout the day. 

For Thursday's updates, click here.

» WHERE TO GET FOOD/WATER: Click here for details on food and water distribution sites

Over 107,000 still without power

Updated at 5:30 p.m.: On Wednesday evening, over 107,000 Linn and Johnson County residents were still without power. 

About 13,000 residents have restored power on Wednesday as at 10 a.m., over 120,000 residents were still without power.  

As of 5 p.m., 80,880 of 97,603 Alliant's Linn County customers were still without power. In Johnson County, 3,256 of 9,827 Alliant customers do not have power.  

In a Wednesday afternoon statement, Alliant said power had been restored for close to 75,000 customers with most living in Williamsburg, Marengo and Jefferson.  

MidAmerican Energy Company has 11,392 of its 47,836 Johnson County customers without power. The company put out a statement early on Wednesday saying it had restored power to 130,000 of its customers statewide.  

Linn County Rural Electric Cooperative had 15,200 of its 29,880 Linn and Johnson County customers without power still as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday.  

All companies continue to ask residents to stay away from down power lines. 

Internet service providers Mediacom and ImOn are still prepping to restore services as well to area residents. Both companies have to wait for utility companies to restore power before they can fully get to work. 

Mediacom spokeswoman Phyllis Peters said on Wednesday evening that over 57,000 modems are still offline in the Eastern Iowa area with the largest impact area being Cedar Rapids by far.  

Between 5,000 and 7,000 homes came back online in those areas on Wednesday Peters said. 

Peters said the number includes Iowa City, North Liberty, Williamsburg and other smaller impact numbers in southeast Iowa. 

» OUTAGE UPDATES: Read more on power, internet outages in Eastern Iowa

The lights are back on in downtown Cedar Rapids according to a Wednesday news release from Alliant Energy. Power was also restored to parts of northeast Cedar Rapids, police said on social media early Wednesday.

'Power has been restored for now to a section of NE Cedar Rapids, to include the Lindale, Collins Aerospace, and Target NE area,' the Cedar Rapids Police Department posted on Facebook.

Student-athletes were supposed to begin moving in Wednesday through Friday, with first-year and returning students scheduled to move in Aug. 20-22. But move-in 'is delayed until further notice,' according to the Mount Mercy update.

'So please pause your return to campus,' officials requested Tuesday, noting power and cell service were still out. 'Residence Life staff will be in contact with you, and they are working with students currently on campus to ensure safe living and dining accommodations.'

Mount Mercy's summer session was supposed to end Thursday, and the fall semester was supposed to begin Aug. 26. But in a Wednesday morning message on its Facebook page, Mount Mercy reported the summer 2020 session had been 'extended indefinitely' and that more information is forthcoming.

— Vanessa Miller

Garbage pickup will resume Thursday in Cedar Rapids

There will again be no garbage, recycling or yard waste pickup in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday, but garbage collection will resume Thursday, the city announced. 

Recycling pickup is temporarily suspended and the city will announce later when it will resume.

Garbage pick up will be Thursday for neighborhoods with regular collection on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Pickup will be Friday for usual Thursday and Friday customers. If crews are unable to get to homes, they will collect next week. 

Crews will attempt to resume regularly scheduled collection next week. 

Bags of spoiled food should be placed in garbage carts first, and extra bags should be placed beside the cart. Bags of spoiled food outside of the cart should be double- or triple-bagged, the city requests. Extra garbage bags must weigh less than 40 pounds.

If you usually place your cart in an alley for collection, place it at the street in front of your house this week, the city said. If there is not room for your cart in front of your home, work with neighbors to establish a cart collection zone where several carts can be placed next to each other.

To sign up for city updates, visit www.CRNewsNow.com. 

Several Linn County government buildings damaged

Various Linn County buildings sustained different levels of damage due to the derecho storm on Monday.

Steve Estenson, risk manager for Linn County Risk Management said there was limited damage to the county building, 935 2nd St. Sw. Most county buildings had been running on generators as of Tuesday night.

Estenson said some overhead doors blew in at the Sheriff's Office and at the LIFTS department. He said the Correctional Center has damage to the roof and some of the fascia.

The Community Services Building has damage to the siding, but the Public Service Center appears to be unharmed Estenson said. Each location in the county did have tree damage.

The Linn County courthouse has minimal damage as well.

Estenson said Linn County Conservation is experiencing 'massive amounts of tree damage.'

'Campgrounds were destroyed, laying many campers on their sides and covering the campgrounds with debris,' he said.

Conservation's main office at Wickiup Hill has damage from falling trees and a cold storage building at Squaw Creek Park was lost. A service area shop on County Home Road and Highway 13 sustained roof and siding damage.

Estenson said the Engineering Office sustained a 'large quantity of tree damage' and a county-owned barn at County Home Road and Highway 13 was destroyed as well.

— Gage Miskimen

Food that's been in fridge without power is not safe to eat, health officials warn

As Cedar Rapids and other parts of Eastern Iowa reach the second day without power, public health officials warn residents their refrigerated food may no longer be safe to eat.

Linn County Public Health issued an advisory Tuesday evening emphasizing the importance of food safety during power outages, stating that frozen or refrigerated food 'may not be safe to eat if the power has gone out for extended periods.'

If individuals keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, food will stay safe for:

• Up to four hours in a refrigerator• Up to 48 hours in a full freezer• Up to 24 hours in a half-full freezer

The temperature of the freezer space should be at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. It is safe to refreeze or cook thawed food if it still contains ice crystals or is at or below 40 degrees.

Perishable food – such as meat, fruit, vegetables, eggs and milk – should be thrown out after four hours without a cold source. Residents should dispose of any food with an unusual color, odor or texture.

— Michaela Ramm

Check these tips before using generators, chain saws

Public health officials reminded residents undergoing the cleanup effort to take certain precautions to avoid injury.

'We want residents to pay special attention to generator safety and proper use of equipment such as chainsaws used to clean up debris, as well as food safety as outages continue,' said Linn County Public Health Director Pramod Dwivedi in a statement. 'Storm clean up and recovery is a challenging time, but some simple steps can keep everyone healthy as we respond to severe weather.'

Generators should be at least 20 feet from the home, and should never be used indoors because these machines can produce high levels of carbon monoxide very quickly.

Opening doors and windows will not help prevent carbon monoxide build up in the home. If you feel sick, dizzy or weak while using a generator, get fresh air right away and call 911.

Public health officials also urged caution when using chain saws while clearing away trees this week, which is among common concern when cleanup is underway. Operators should ensure they are following all manufacturer recommendations for the safe operation, maintenance and adjustment of the saw. 

Here are other tips from Linn County Public Health:

• Operators should wear protective gear, including a hard hat, safety glasses, hearing protection, heavy work gloves, cut-resistant legwear and boots that cover the ankle.• Avoid working around downed power lines, even if you know they are not live.• If serious injury occurs, apply direct pressure to the wound and call 911 immediately.

— Michaela Ramm

Marion warns of fire risks after two house fires

News release from City of Marion:

The Marion Fire Department responded to two house fires last night. One was a 50 percent loss and the other a total loss. Both were caused by open flames being used as a light source during the power outage.

The Marion Fire Department offers these important reminders:• Do not have a burning flame within three feet of combustibles (any item that can burn). • Make sure the candle or lamp is not on a plastic surface.• Do not leave an open flame unattended. • Make sure the flame is completely out before leaving the room and no longer producing smoke.• If possible, use battery-powered or solar-powered lighting.• If you have pets, please try to avoid using open flames.

As storm clean-up continues, be sure to protect the area around fire hydrants and keep yard waste or debris away from the hydrants. Three feet of clearance should be maintained on all sides.

Cedar Rapids curfew in effect, transit suspended

A nightly curfew is in effect indefinitely from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in Cedar Rapids as crews continue to work to restore power and clear debris. Transit service also has been suspended until further notice, according to the city. 

For more city updates, visit cedar-rapids.org.