Video of a disaster community

Outside the newly reopened "Flying Wienie"

Inside the "Flying Wienie"

This short video clip will hopefully give you a glimpse into what a community looks like after it has been hit with a flood, or hurricane for instance.

I hope it helps to paint a picture of reality on the ground. What you don't get from this video are the smells and the sounds of disaster. I can tell you there is a unique and distinct smell. It is the smell of rot and decay.

It is still a very safe place to be. You just have to pay attention to your surroundings. Typically in a disaster, we as relief workers drive in and drive out of the disaster area each day.

It is great to see places get back up and running quickly in a disaster. One of the fun places in Cedar Rapids is "The Flying Wienie", a Chicago Hot Dog Restaurant with lots of local favorites to eat. The restaurant was closed for ten days from the flooding, but once it reopened it brought a little bit of life back to Cedar Rapids. It is so important to get businesses up and running as it provides people the opportunity to get back to work and provide for their families.

I hope this blog entry helps you understand more of why disaster relief is so, so important to do.