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Despite the lovely weather outside, the flooding in Des Moines continues to worsen. I'm spending my morning editing photos and updating the news links while keeping an eye on the TV. My hotel, Drake's stadium, and the Des Moines airport don't appear to be in any imminent danger, but many of the surrounding roads are flooded, making getting from one place to the next a bit more challenging than usual. The water levels of the Des Moines River are expected to crest around 8:00 p.m. to midnight tonight, and city officials are now asking for a voluntary evacuation of the 500-year floodplain area. This includes some areas less than two miles from Drake's stadium.
I had to take a different route back from the track last night because of a new road closure. I am a little nervous about getting to and from the track today and tomorrow, not to mention the airport tomorrow evening, in a timely fashion. I admit that I will breathe a sigh of relief when (if) my plane takes off for Chicago tomorrow evening. I can't imagine what this is like for those whom this is home. On Wednesday evening, I was sitting in the lobby of my hotel and I heard a coach of a runner from nowhere near Iowa ask the front desk worker where he could go to help with the sandbagging efforts. He mentioned that he had nothing to do until 6:00 p.m. the next day. I was really impressed.
I won't be heading over to the track until this evening, but I will do my best to keep providing updates both on the track action as well as any developments regarding the flooding. (And, no, it hasn't escaped my notice that today is Friday the 13th!)
Posted by Alison Wade at 1:15 p.m. | Tags: 2008 NCAA Outdoor T&F Champs