Flood Threat Causes More University of Iowa Buildings to Close: Iowa City Daily News Links, May 30

Links 2.0, let's give it a go.

On to the Links!

Gregg Hennigan writes about how a University of Iowa computer model is helping city governments and citizens prepare for where flooding will occur.

The University of Iowa is taking no chances, closing more buildings on the Iowa Arts Campus in preparation for flooding.

Here's an Iowa Watch, Fairwarning team-up on the increasing number of large farms threatening Iowa waterways. Story one and story two.

Parade of Homes is coming to the area in early June. (Press-Citizen)

The United Way of Johnson County has mobilized its volunteer services in advance of potential flooding. (Press-Citizen)

Police are examining the background of the now dead suspect in the Dayton, Iowa abduction case to see if he might be connected to the abduction of two girls under similar circumstances in Evansdale. (Quad City Times)

The father of the missing Dayton girl is appealing to Sen. Chuck Grassley for tougher laws on violent criminals. (Des Moines Register)

Events not to miss this weekend, courtesy of the Press-Citizen.

Daily Links Excerpt of the Day

That’s a tool local communities have used this week as wet weather has led to predictions Coralville Lake could reach its emergency spillway, threatening downstream communities with potentially significant flooding.

Coralville has consulted the model to help develop plans for protecting the community should flooding turn serious. It also asked the Iowa Flood Center for a separate calculation considering different flows for Clear Creek, which meets the Iowa River near First Avenue and Highway 6.Should flooding occur this year, the city expects to have a much better idea where water will go than it did in 2008.

“That’s really the advantage,  to give us a heads up and give us plenty of time to prepare,” City Administrator Kelly Hayworth said. “And it tells us where to start and where to prioritize.”