Flooding Press Conference

**ISUAgronomist** · 08-19-2010, 06:04 PM

New photos from Hilton today:

A look inside Hilton Coliseum photos | Des Moines Register

Looks like new BB Hoops will be in order too.

**Dryburn** · 08-19-2010, 06:15 PM

I think the first mistakes that were made were over the years when they decided to cut into the berm that surrounds Hilton to add the store room and add the new entrances to the SW and SE corners of the building.

That is a clay berm that was not there just for decoration. It was also there to keep water out of the building in case of a flood. If that had been left untouched, the only way for water to enter the building from the outside would have been down the ramp and on the lower level west end, which could have been more easily addressed.

It just seems to me that once they dug into the berm, they lost a lot of the flood prevention that was built into the facility.

**CycloneYoda** · 08-19-2010, 06:23 PM

Looks like the clean-up is going quite well.

People can continue to play Monday Morning Flood Expert and give their reasons why this happened, but it doesn't change the fact that flooding is becoming the norm. Time to get used to the fact that the climate is indeed showing extreme changes, and these changes are becoming more normal than abnormal.

**CyBroncos** · 08-19-2010, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by CycloneYoda

Looks like the clean-up is going quite well.

People can continue to play Monday Morning Flood Expert and give their reasons why this happened, but it doesn't change the fact that flooding is becoming the norm. Time to get used to the fact that the climate is indeed showing extreme changes, and these changes are becoming more normal than abnormal.

That's exactly why Ames needs to get proactive about the situation and do something rather than keeping their fingers crossed and hoping Squaw Creek doesn't do a number on the city

**Tornado man** · 08-19-2010, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by CyBroncos

That's exactly why Ames needs to get proactive about the situation and do something rather than keeping their fingers crossed and hoping Squaw Creek doesn't do a number on the city

OK, but Iowa State should also be procative also, like maybe get the Armory refurbished and remodeled to host VB and wrestling? Let's not have things come to a standstill like this when Hilton gets damaged.
Virtually all of our peers have an older, smaller arena for Olympic sports - we need to do it also.

**vmbplayer** · 08-19-2010, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by HiltonMagic

There were absolutely ZERO precautions taken at Hilton.

If that is the case then I agree with you whole heartedly. But there was sand bags placed at the East ramp that did prevent water from entering the ramp. This makes me very curious to see what the plan is that was set after '93 and all the things they did not do.

**CycloneYoda** · 08-19-2010, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by CyBroncos

That's exactly why Ames needs to get proactive about the situation and do something rather than keeping their fingers crossed and hoping Squaw Creek doesn't do a number on the city

I think the world better get proactive, not just Ames. Just yesterday I used some chewing gum to seal a crack in my basement.

**HiltonMagic** · 08-19-2010, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by vmbplayer

If that is the case then I agree with you whole heartedly. But there was sand bags placed at the East ramp that did prevent water from entering the ramp. This makes me very curious to see what the plan is that was set after '93 and all the things they did not do.

I should have said there were no precautions taken before the flooding started that night. They did not have enough time that night to secure everything, obviously, as the water came in the west end.

**CyBroncos** · 08-19-2010, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by CycloneYoda

I think the world better get proactive, not just Ames. Just yesterday I used some chewing gum to seal a crack in my basement.

Of course the whole world should smart a**. I just mentioned Ames/ISU because that's the topic we're on

**CycloneYoda** · 08-19-2010, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by CyBroncos

Of course the whole world should smart a**. I just mentioned Ames/ISU because that's the topic we're on

Testy, testy. Forget your juice today???

**Wesley** · 08-19-2010, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by HiltonMagic

There were absolutely ZERO precautions taken at Hilton.

And do they look stupid now.

**Wesley** · 08-19-2010, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by CycloneYoda

I think the world better get proactive, not just Ames. Just yesterday I used some chewing gum to seal a crack in my basement.

When Wal Mart is flooded, you know you have a problem.

**AdRock4Cy** · 08-19-2010, 07:58 PM

They just need to dig a giant moat around Hilton and install a drawbridge.

If this is not feasable, they should demolish and play all their games at Wells Fargo Arena.

**Cycsk** · 08-19-2010, 08:16 PM

At first, I liked the idea of building a berm around Hilton (actually around the Iowa State Center). However, it has to be done well.

Because there is already a berm! The road south of Hilton acts like a berm and may have been part of the problem. I went to Hilton on Tuesday morning during the worst of the flooding. And I went past the barricades right up to where the road behind Hilton was covered. I noticed a huge burst of water coming out from under one of the overpasses. It looked like there was a huge pump under the road that was pumping water into the parking lot. You could see the water flow go for more than 100 feet.

Upon further inspection, there was no pump. It was just the result of having so much water pressure on the Hilton/Scheman side of the road! The water was just shooting out of the pedestrian tunnel under the road behind Hilton into the big parking lot.

Thus, I wonder if the flooding would have been as bad if the berm behind Hilton hadn't been there and the water could have flowed more freely and quickly into the big parking lots.

Perhaps it was actually the berm that caused the water to get so high around Hilton and Scheman! Perhaps if the water could have flowed more freely and quickly to lower/wider areas, it might not have accumulated so high and done so much damage to Hilton and Scheman.

I'm not an expert, but this seems to be a variable that needs to be considered.

[Edited for clarity and better spelling of "berm." Mods, please correct in heading.]

**majorcyfan** · 08-19-2010, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by DaddyMac

I'd be surprised to see University itself raised. The really vulnerable spot is north of Lincoln way, by the train bridge. Meaning they'd have to raise the Lincoln way instersection as well. Not so mention S 4th and possibly S 16th. That's alot of raising, A LOT of work. 4 lane divided road.

And frankly, not sure I'd like that idea. It'd be gov't and they'd do the bare minimum. Seems that it'd be easier to put a larger berm around Hilton, MWL and Lied - like you suggested. Could be higher (if only a foot or two) and I'd think far less costly, and wouldn't have the impact on the east side of the creek (pushing water there).

Putting a flood gate on that train bridge would be a good start. But looking at the photos, I completely forgot about the creek that runs through campus, between Lied & MWL, and empties into Squaw. What the heck do you do there?

Didn't we just see a layout for a new proposed building structure to be built just North of the Scheman building, taking up the parking lot North of scheman, in the Ames paper a month or so back? Wondering how flooding and any possible berm building might interfer, delay or cancel any more building in a flood plain.