UI Student Dorm and Flood Influence of 2008

UI Student Dorm and Flood Influence of 2008 Student Name Course Date UI Student Dorm and Flood Influence of 2008 Section 1: Mission, Topic and Historical Context Mission Statement: The essay paper purports to document the history of the 2008 floods in the state of Iowa and its impact on the premises of Iowa University. It will focus on one of the residence halls at the institution named Mayflower that bared most of the effects because of its proximity to the Iowa River which borders the university. The paper will examine other similar catastrophes that have happened around the world in an attempt to pick lessons that would help prevent future unfortunate events. Topic and Historical Context: The University of Iowa is one of the top universities in the United States founded in 1847 and which hosts over 30,000 students from all over the world. The main campus is located along the Iowa River and has many buildings that serve as learning facilities and residential halls. One significant piece of architecture in the establishment is the Mayflower Hall that has a rich history not only for its design but also for the catastrophic event that hit the state of Iowa and specifically the university grounds. The now famous flood of 2008 hit the University of Iowa with much impact felt at the Mayflower hall because of its close proximity to the Iowa River. The state of Iowa has generally been susceptible to natural phenomena’s like floods making it a key study case for meteorological experts around the United States who seek to at least salvage the situation when the next disaster strikes with the establishment of disaster planning and recovery programs. The state of Iowa is in between the Mississippi river and the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers which put it at the center of floods during the periods of increased rainfall. Eastern Iowa specifically has several natural lakes and rivers such as the Iowa River and hence is the only state in the US bordered by water bodies (Budikova, Coleman, Strope & Austin, 2010). The unprecedented floods that hit the town in 2008 came as a shock to many who had come to believe that the town would never flood. Christopher Mag even once had a headline in the local paper “Eastern Iowa, the city that would never flood” (Maag, 2008). Hence, it’s no wonder the city went 12 feet under when the floods hit as people were ill prepared. The University of Iowa is one case example of an institution that has felt the wrath of the surging weather patterns and especially during times of increased rainfall. Built on the banks of River Iowa and Cedar River, the university has suffered from destructions caused from natural weather events with the most notable being the June 2008 flood when too much downpour caused the river to break its banks and wreak havoc on some of the university establishments including the Mayflower residence Hall. The dormitory is the furthest in proximity comparison to the other residence halls and the main campus but close enough to the Iowa River (Nizza, 2008). It hosts over 1,000 students and is often the first choice for many of the campus students because of its many amenities. The hall has its own kitchen for all students who wish to prepare their own meals, own fitness center, computer l...