The 1,000-Year Flood ─ Destruction, Loss, Rescue, and Redemption Along the Mississippi River

In June 2008, Cedar Rapids, Iowa was one of the cities hardest hit by the Mississippi River's worst flood in decades. A year later, Lyons found that the official optimism masked the reality of a city that was only slowly recovering from the disaster, with thousands of lives still disrupted and FEMA trailers still in many neighborhoods. Based on interviews with dozens of city residents and officials, the author tells the story of the disaster itself, and of how the people of Cedar Rapids dealt with both the aftermath of the flood and with disaster aid that was always going to arrive "any day now." While focusing on the experience of one city, Lyons asks questions about how the country responds to disasters that are relevant anywhere that is hit by Nature's violence. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)