CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Iowa’s News Now) — Just 8 years after the devastating flood of 2008, September 2016 brought a frightening sense of déjà vu to Cedar Rapids. The Cedar River was rising again, putting the city on high alert for another potentially catastrophic flood. Businesses in Czech Village and the brand-new NewBo District had learned from 2008 and were better prepared — but damage was still inevitable without permanent protection.
Dean Spina, who was president of the NewBo Market in 2016, and is the current president of the District of Czech Village and New Bohemia, recalled, “The announcement came about 2 days before it was supposed to hit and gave us plenty of time to respond. All the vendors, all the merchants, everything was emptied out, loaded on trucks or in their vans, just to get out of here because we thought we were having another event.”
Temporary barriers were constructed around the district, thankfully keeping the majority of the flood water out. Once permanent barriers began to go up in 2021, businesses in the area felt a much stronger sense of security. These permanent walls can protect against a crest of 31.12 ft, and feature large gates which close off if water were to reach the bridge.
“Once the flood protection system started being constructed, and as far as long as it is now, I think the worry is pretty much dissipated,” Spina explains.
Construction around the Newbo and Czech Village district is almost complete, but further upstream, construction hasn’t seen as much progress yet, putting newly-developed Kingston Village in a vulnerable spot.
“Seeing how the flooding has been in the last few years since we have been open- it hasn’t been close to us reaching any flood stage around here,” Chris Flenker, the head brewer at Big Grove explains. Big Grove Brewery sits right along the Cedar River and opened in 2023: years after the flood…