On Friday, September 23, Xavier dismissed early and students dispersed into the community to prepare for what was projected to be the second-worst flood disaster in the history of Cedar Rapids. Xavier staff and students assisted with evacuation and sandbagging efforts at St. Patrick’s, St. Wenceslaus, Bridgehaven & Treasures, Cedar Valley Montessori School, and other local business affiliated with members of the Xavier community. Over the course of the next two days, Xavier students helped produce and lay sandbags in and around Palo City Hall, NewBo City Market, Czech Village, and the Cedar Valley Humane Society.
Senior Chloe Clemenson was among those who volunteered. “It was awesome that we got a half day on Friday in order to go out and help the Cedar Rapids community,” Clemenson said. “It was amazing to see the whole Xavier community go out and help out our community when they needed it the most.”
Once flood preparation was complete, Xavier, along with the Cedar Rapids Community School District, cancelled classes through Friday, September 30, due to flooding and resulting transportation issues.
On Tuesday, the Cedar River crested at 21.97 feet. The crest fell short of both the initial prediction of 25 feet and the 31.12 foot crest of the historic flood of June 2008. When the river dropped below the 16-foot major flood stage and an initial inspection revealed minimal damage on Friday morning, Cedar Rapids leaders celebrated and reflected on the flood preparation success.
“We did it. We came through it,” Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett said. “This community over the last four, five days, this community stepped up and showed leadership on several fronts, and that is why we were so successful.”
Corbett also noted the young people who used their week off of school to help. City Manager Jeff Pomeranz credited five public works staff members for the rapid design, construction and maintenance of a 10-mile sand-based temporary flood wall. “Without that wall, hundreds and hundreds, maybe more, homes and businesses would have been impacted by the flood of 2016,” Pomeranz said.
On Friday, members of the Xavier community helped remove sandbags in the downtown area. Student Senate president Jackson Schuster helped coordinate sandbagging efforts. “It was great to see the Xavier community come together and spend their time off of school helping the city,” Schuster said. “I was extremely proud to hear that the damage was not as bad as expected thanks to the help from the community.”