Floods ... Tragedy, Challenges and How You Can Help

The "500 year" flooding in Wisconsin and Iowa seems to be unparalleled. For Iowa, it's the second "500 year" flood in 15 years. And now, as the water moves down-river to more southern states, we can expect more tragedy.

It's a conundrum: On the one hand we read about high farm prices and how farmers have never had it so good ... on the other hand, many family farmers are already suffering from huge losses in crops damaged by floods and the disaster is also making feeding livestock more difficult for livestock producers. Overall, the disaster is likely to drive up prices for consumers at the grocery store, too. The challenge of recovery is likely to be particularly difficult since many people do not have flood insurance because their neighborhoods, individual rural homes and farmsteads are not on flood plains and have not flooded before.

Thus, we bring you opportunities to contribute to charities while we share stories and pictures about the ongoing tragedy:

"RURAL" CHARITIES YOU CAN TRUST (we will add more to this list in a later edition):

1. For Iowa or , individual tax-deductible contributions should be written to the "NCSS Charity Fund" with "Iowa Flood Relief" in the memo section. Mail checks to: State Society of Iowa, P.O. Box 40831, Arlington, VA 22204-9998.
2. For Iowa but also for other flood damaged states, donations can also be made through Willy Nelson's "Family Farm Disaster Fund -- Farm Aid." For more info, click here.
   

PICTURES AND STORIES:

• Wisconsin Flood Photos by the LaCrosse Tribune
• "In Midwest, a Threat to Crops" by Susan Salny, New York Times
  
• "Flooding Forces Evacuation ... Governor Jim Doyle orders evacuation ... 7 dams watched for potential failure" by Channel 3000, WiscTV.com
• "Floods Leave Iowa Swimming in Toxic Brew" by CBS News
• "Iowa -- Best of Flood Photos" by the Des Moines Register
• "More on Flooding -- Cedar Rapids Residents Again Turned Away" by USATODAY
• Hog Farmers Face A Perfect Storm by Ilan Brat and Joe Barrett, USATODAY
• Farms Under Water as Levee Breaks by Metro.co.uk
• Flood Waters Wash Away Homes as Freak Weather Hits U.S. by The Sydney Morning Herald.