After the Flood: Rebuilding the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area

By Aaron Steinmann

In recent months, the sites and communities of Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, nestled in Northeast Iowa, have weathered Mother Nature’s worst. Just weeks after an F-5 tornado ravaged portions of the Heritage Area, historic floods devastated countless communities during the floodwaters slow trek across the Heritage Area.

Saving heirlooms from storm damage

Tropical storms and other flood events are often termed disasters because of injuries, fatalities and the destruction of homes and businesses. Part of the disaster is the loss of family heirlooms.
“I am saddened by the stories of people who have lost so much from floods and storms,” said National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar. [...]