The overnight curfew in Cedar Rapids has been lifted, Fire Chief Greg Smith announced during the city’s Monday press conference.
The city had imposed a curfew immediately after the Aug. 10 derecho due to widespread power outages caused by the storm.
Smith said the curfew is no longer needed because power has been restored to nearly all residents.
“We ask citizens to continue to be vigilant during the evening and overnight hours when it is difficult to see debris on sidewalks and roadways because there are still hazards that are out there,” Smith said.
Cedar Rapids Public Works Director Jen Winter said that city crews have collected 48,000 tons of debris from curbside pickup.
Tree debris: As of this morning, we have collected approximately 48,000 tons of debris, and have completed our first pass on collecting curbside from approximately 20 percent of our roadways. pic.twitter.com/asczlRhqZT
— City of Cedar Rapids (@CityofCRiowa) August 24, 2020
“As we shift from immediate response to longer-term operations, we have secured the assistance of several new contractors who specialize in high-volume debris removal,” Winter said. “This contractor has mobilized and will begin hauling tomorrow. Their contracts will last the duration of our clean-up needs.”
Winter also added that storm debris curbside pickup will begin next week and more information will be shared later this week. Storm debris should be placed in a separate pile from tree debris.
Officials warn of hot days ahead, announce places to cool off
There are three cooling centers open across Linn County for anyone needing a place to cool off during the week. Forecasts are predicting temperatures in the high 90s over the next several days.
Cedar Rapids
US Cellular Center, 370 1 st Avenue NE
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.Hiawatha
Hiawatha Community Center, 101 Emmons Street
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.Marion
Lowe Park, 4500 N 10th Street, West Entrance
Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“We encourage residents to use this space to get out of the heat this week,” City Manager Jeff Pomeranz said during Monday’s press conference.
There are also two splash pads open to help keep people cool, with a third opening on Tuesday. The splash pads at Twin Pines, 3500 42nd St NE, and Hayes Park, 1924 D St SW, are already open. The third splash pad will be open on Tuesday at Hidder Park, 1248 10th St SE.
Due to the high temperatures, the city is keeping its burn ban in effect indefinitely, Smith said.
“Elevated temperatures and tree debris drying out quickly causes an enhanced fire risk in our community,” the fire chief explained. “While we still do allow outdoor cooking, we ask that everyone be cautious if they are conducting outdoor cooking and that the cooking fire is completely extinguished immediately upon finishing the cooking of your meal.”
Companies continue to work to restore internet
Two weeks after the derecho, the majority of Linn County residents have power again. But a lack of internet access remains a widespread problem in the county.
Mediacom initially had about 45,000 customers offline following the Aug. 10 storm, said Corey Bowman, the company’s area operations director. There are still about 12,000 customers without internet, Bowman said.
“We are working on some temporary options and repairs to get people up quickly, and then come back and finish the rebuild at a later time,” Bowman said. “Some areas will require a complete network rebuild because of the extensive damage and those will be completed over the next few weeks.”
Lisa Rhatigan, vice president of marketing at ImOn Communications, also provided an update. Rhatigan said 75 percent of the company’s customers have their internet restored as of 2 p.m. on Monday.
Loans for homeowners, business owners
Mayor Brad Hart said Gov. Kim Reynolds will be in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday to announce help that is now available through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
“Disaster loans of up to $200,000 will be available to homeowners to repair and replace damaged or destroyed real estate,” Hart said, adding that the loans have low interest rates. “Homeowners and renters are eligible to receive up to $40,000 to replace or repair damaged personal property.”
More information on the SBA loans is available on the city’s website and on the SBA website. The application can be found online.
