Flooded Iowa Town Putting Lives, Families Back Together

The HSUS

A kitten with her HSUS rescuer.

by Jordan Crump

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa—After completing hundreds of successful missions in the devastated city of Cedar Rapids it seemed as though our rescue team had seen the worst of the city's damage. But when we answered Wednesday's first call, it was evident that worse still awaited us.  

The road leading up to the property, and the house itself had been swallowed by a massive sinkhole created by the flood's raging waters. The house had literally been absorbed by the earth and now lay several feet below ground. Although damage to the house was significant, our team entered to search for a trapped cat.

"As soon as I saw the crumbling walls inside that house my hope that we would bring the cat out alive started to fade," said Chris Broughton, field responder for The HSUS. "Climbing over mounds of debris I suddenly heard the cat's reassuring cries. This was a cat that definitely wanted to be found—she ran right into my arms searching for an escape from her ordeal."

Reunions in Their Future

This lucky cat soon joined hundreds of others waiting to be reunited with their families at a temporary shelter administered by The Humane Society of the United States at Kirkwood Community College.

With reunions between residents and their missing pets now increasing dramatically, we are confident that she will soon rejoin her family.

Diane Webber, an HSUS director running the emergency shelter, saw reunions rise to an all-time high on Wednesday. Twenty dogs and 26 cats were successfully returned to their families. Not only is this amazing news for the displaced animals, it is also a sign that the people of Cedar Rapids are beginning to reconstruct their lives.

The HSUS

A woman leaves the Kirkwood shelter with her dogs.

"It is going to be a long, hard road to recovery for the people affected by this flood, said Webber. " Having their pets safely in their arms gives many of these families the hope and motivation they need to carry on after the storm."

In fact these residents are so grateful, more than a dozen people who had been reunited with their pets are now volunteering at the shelter. For many devastated Iowans spending time helping the most vulnerable victims of the flood has been an important way for them to cope with the tragedy.

We are honored to have the ability to not only comfort and protect the animals affected by the floods, but to also bring peace and inspiration to their guardians.