Sorry for the long post but I wanted to give another update from the ground. There is a TL: DR version at the bottom.
More and more volunteers are showing up in CR thanks to more coverage from national media. Word from out of town people is they truly had no idea that it was this bad This was a perfect storm (no pun intended) for the following reasons:
-Storm decimated power practically to all of Eastern Iowa where the storm was most intense
-Also knocked out cell phone coverage for even basic reasons such as calling 911
-City leaders literally could not send out updates to residents for the same reasons above or even notify the governor's office for more assistance (continued later)
-Gas stations, home improvement stores, and grocery stores at best minimally operational due to no power.
-When cell phone coverage was returned (althugh extremely spotty) Tuesday evening (24 hours after the storm) City was finally able to send out updates but reach was minimal since most of City was still without power. Local news was slowly able to report again.
-By this point people are still without food, oxygen, and power to do basic necessities
-Here's where it starts to get stupid (continued from above). Wednesday CR mayor Brad Hart says national guard is not necessary and the city is able to use existing resources to recover. He throws his city manager under the bus saying that if there are issues with the handling of getting food and oxygen to people the media needs to talk to him since that's not the mayor's job.
-Wednesday evening and national media still hasn't reported on this storm. My theory, between the inability to communicate the devastation on Monday and Tuesday and the CR mayor saying the city has the resources to recover on its own, national media kind of shrugged it off as a mild storm. Then Beth Malicki (KCRG main anchor) went off on Twitter for the lack of national coverage and lack of out of area help.
-On Wednesday Governor's office puts out a statement that the reason the state has not responded further is because City and county leaders have not reached out. I know people on here rag on Reynolds (myself included) but I believe her here and not our city leaders due to comments made above. National guard Cedar Rapids Armory leader was on the news saying they are ready to act but the can't activate themselves. He seemed very pissed that they still hadn't been activated by that point.
-Right after Beth Malicki went off on Twitter, Reynolds scheduled an exclusive with her and was able to address all the concerns from the ground.
-Since Wednesday evening and Beth Malicki potentially singlehandedly forcing the city leaders to ask for help. Reynolds, Ernst, Finckenauer, and Grassley all visit destruction areas and commit to seeking federal help. National guard is deployed. Presidential disaster declaration expected on Monday which means FEMA and money headed our way. ABC and CBS (not sure about NBC) evening news as well as morning shows have done segments reporting on the destruction. More volunteer groups on the way as a result.
-Beth Malicki and the local media truly are the difference on the help that is now on the way. I've been critical in the past of local media cherry picking stories but they really showed out here when they were needed most.
TL: DR- Cedar Rapids city leaders dropped the ball to get more help here faster. Local media pushed the issue and was able to force more help to come.
