In flashback, it was a $1 billion disaster movie come to devastating, soul-piercing, heart-crushing life in the American Heartland. In the blink of an eye at 140 fierce mph, the homes, lives and worlds of thousands of Iowans were ripped apart on Black Monday. One month after the vicious derecho that nearly ripped Cedar Rapids […]
No, you’re not crazy. It is literally raining cats and dogs these days in Iowa. Welcome to what climate experts gravely predict is “the new normal.” The Hawkeye State’s bummer of a fall has seen torrential rain pour down in buckets in most parts of Eastern Iowa. Dubuque has weathered a full 50 inches of […]
September 12 was a lousy, but tolerable rainy Thursday night in Dubuque as the Rauen Family weathered a torrential thunderstorm that was pouring down an inch of rain an hour on Iowa’s Key City. The Rauens huddled inside the comfort of their sure-fire rain repellent 15-year-old home in Dubuque’s midtown. Then water came cascading down […]
In the fine print of most every homeowners insurance policy are these potentially terrifying and expensive words: “Policy does not cover water damage caused by maintenance problems.” While accidental water issues like burst pipes are covered, neglected pipes will be left out in the non-covered code in case of a winter home water damage disaster. […]
Read Your Policy’s Fine Print on Natural Disasters ACT OF GOD – A manifestation of a violent or destructive natural force, such as a lightning strike or an earthquake, which is beyond human power to cause, prevent or control.” –Webster’s New American Dictionary Not all Acts of God are covered equally. When it comes to […]
Observation Is Key To Knowing When To Say Goodbye Your 3-year-old daughter starts using the loose hallway floorboards as a teeter-totter. Your beloved poodle Max mysteriously disappears one day while eating his food on the kitchen floor. The dining room floor caves in. Unfortunately, aging floors in need of replacement are rarely this obvious. It’s […]
Now’s the Time for Iowa Homeowners to Ready Their Flood Defense Plan In one of Mother Nature’s cruelest twists of irony, nearly 10 years to the date of the devastating Iowa floods of 2018, flooded rivers and waters are again threatening numerous towns throughout eastern Iowa. A fury of early June rains have many of […]
Let’s face the cold, hard, inescapable, miserable truth: So far, the winter of 2018 has felt like winter in the coldest, harshest northern regions of Westeros. Stephen King isn’t cruel enough to dream up anything as harsh as what January has already dealt us. If you’re not an avid ice fisherman, this winter has been […]
The Packers and Cowboys are locked in a classic. The Food Network has a “America’s Worst Chefs” marathon playing. I’m just 1,000 points away from a new record score on “Call of Duty.” We heard a voice calling us to enjoy this beautiful autumn day on the river. As Garfield would say, it’s a good […]
Every backyard barbecuer dreams of being a grill master. Truth is, not everyone can be a four-time world barbecue champion Mike Mills. Most us are Average Joes just trying not to burn the hot dogs until they’re pitch black and extra crispy. Unfortunately, some barbecuers this season will fall dangerously asleep at the grill. With […]
