Press Release

Official Historical High Water Mark Sign Posted On Alliant Tower

Sign will provide a marking of the water level during 2008 flood

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – October 12, 2009 – The National Weather Service and Alliant Energy have teamed up to place an official Historical High Water Mark Sign on the north side of the Alliant Tower in Downtown Cedar Rapids. The sign, funded and provided by the National Weather Service, illustrates the crest of the flood waters on Friday, June 13, 2008.

The sign, placed on the Alliant Tower, 200 First Street SE, is visible from 2nd Avenue SE. The High Water Mark sign is approximately 7.5 feet above sidewalk level and provides a vivid reminder of how high the waters rose in Downtown Cedar Rapids, just about 100 feet from the banks of the river.

“We’re pleased to provide a space for the marker,” said Tom Aller, President of Alliant Energy’s Interstate Power and Light Company, which is headquartered in the Alliant Tower. “For all those who walk or drive by the marker, it will be a lasting reminder of not just how high the waters rose, but how hard our community fought back – first against the water, but then to recover and rebuild our community better than ever.”

Maren Stoflet, Hydrologist for the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities explained their selection of the site. “We wanted a location that would be part of the community for decades along a well-traveled path. Both as a prominent part of the city’s skyline and as a part of the local business community, the Alliant Tower location made perfect sense.”

While the signs are designed to commemorate a historical flooding event, they are also intended to raise flood safety awareness. Stoflet noted, “These signs serve as a reminder to maintain our vigilance when it comes to flood safety and preparedness now and in the future.”

Media Contacts:
Alliant Energy Contact: Scott Drzycimski, 319-786-7550
National Weather Service Contact: Maren Stoflet, 563-391-7094