Great Flood of 1998

A Horrible Site and Disaster

When the flood swept across the highways and land not only did the plants and animals get impacted but the people of the Griswold, Iowa area did too. It is interesting that there weren't any people injured due to the rushing water. Flood water moves at a very fast rate of speed making it almost impossible to walk through.

The animals, especially the fish, in the area were heavily impacted by the flood of 1998. The fish in the river were impacted because the top soil and fertilizer from farmers' fields washed into the river. This caused the plants in the river to grow rapidly after the flood. You may think that this was a good thing, but when the plants died the fish were out of food. The fish were also impacted because the catfish were swept downstream. This caused them to not lay their eggs, because the catfish usually lay their eggs where they were born. That's why the population of the catfish went down rapidly. The animals that lived and nested along the river banks were swept away in the flood waters.

Deb Karwal, the Montgomery County Conservationist, shared her flood experience with us. Mrs. Karwal is the type of person who thinks of others before herself. She spent hours trying to get to Griswold to help her friends and neighbors whose basements were filling with water. Every road she tried to take ended up being covered in water. Although she couldn't help victims of the flood she was able to take some heart-breaking and shocking photos of the horrible sight. These photos will help others remember the disaster.

Fast Flood Facts

	The flood was knee high and it was almost impossible to walk in.
	The Nishnobatna River went out of its banks.
	Fish were swept down the river by the fast current.
	Most of the land-living animals could sense the flood coming and ran for higher ground.
	The flood of 1998 was a terrifying time for hundreds of people stranded in small places.
	The people that were in the flood of 1998 will never forget the horrible sight. The victims will continue to tell the story of the flood to their family and friends for years to come.

Welcome to the new water park that the flood created!
This is a picture of Pilot Grove Park on Grant/Elliott road which is 110th street.

Flood Photos