'People Were Frantically Trying to Stop the Water ... It Was Terrifying': Red Cross Volunteer on 1993 Flood

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Twenty years ago, murky floodwater filled the streets, yards, homes and businesses of West Des Moines' Valley Junction neighborhood, a scene repeated across much of Iowa.

Iowa's largest city, Des Moines, was without drinking water after its treatment plant was swamped by the Raccoon River. Many of the area's suburbs receive water from Des Moines and were also without tap water.

West Des Moines was fortunate enough to keep floodwaters out of its treatment plant and rationed water use, but the area was still a disaster area. Volunteers from the American Red Cross office in Des Moines still remember the devastation the area suffered and how far it has come since then.

Bobbie Bishop, was 41 years old when she volunteered in Valley Junction during the flooding. Her most memorable moment came right before the levees broke that were struggling to keep the Raccoon out of Valley Junction. She was with another volunteer when they noticed water kept rushing toward them.

“The closer we got to our car the farther away we had to go because the water was coming,” Bishop said. “We got to the parking lot to where the car was, it was above water but there cars floating, people were frantically trying to stop the water from getting through the levee and it was terrifying.”

She then remembers a miracle.

“Standing very close by was a colonel with the National Guard and I didn’t realize it but he had overheard us talking,” Bishop said. “He got out his phone and he called a National Guard tow truck and through the water we see this great big camouflage tow truck coming down Railroad. It backed up, hooked us up, we got on the back end of the tow truck, outside and he pulled us out of the flood. It was the most surreal thing.”

Bishop said the National Guard saved the Red Cross vehicle.

“Ever since then I have not had enough wonderful things to say about the National Guard,” Bishop said. “They were there to keep our shelters secure, they were there to help us, they were there for us.”

Bishop currently lives in Valley Junction; she moved there in 1994 as the city was recovering from the disaster.

“I bought this home 12 years ago,” Bishop said. “They put a $57 million levee over here so it is not considered a floodplain any more, so I do not have to have flood insurance. It works real well.”

Bishop said she chose living in Valley Junction because of the area's history and diversity.

“It’s hard to believe it was 20 years ago,” Bishop said. “I remember the flood and I still moved here. It’s a small town and a nice community.”

Doug Goodwin was 18 years old at the time of the floods, working full time at Principal Financial Group and living on the south side of Des Moines. He volunteered overnights during the flood at an elementary school in West Des Moines, where people from across the area were fed and could shower.

Goodwin said he answered phones and checked on people to make sure they were sleeping. He said 300 to 400 people lived in the shelter, using the elementary school's showers and sleeping on cots in the gym.

“Some of the kids I remember seeing thought it was like camp,” Goodwin said. “I remember one of them saying ‘this is better than camp,’ because they got to play with other kids, but the parents I don’t think thought it was camp at all.”

Goodwin also remembers homeless people checking in.

“There were a lot of homeless people that were displaced, too,” Goodwin said. “I remember checking in some people and they said they lived under a bridge or somewhere. Technically that’s where they lived and they were out of their home. That made us realize maybe we need more homeless shelters.”

Goodwin said he was glad he helped out.

“It was kind of fun actually,” Goodwin said. “I got to be part of something that will hopefully never happen again.”

Goodwin said he felt horrible for Valley Junction business owners because of the magnitude of damage they faced.

“I love Valley Junction, those shops are great,” Goodwin said. “They did a great job of getting back up and going. It’s built back up and hasn’t flooded since.”

Goodwin said it took the community a long time to rebuild.

“Any disaster shows how the community is and they really pulled back together with that one.”