Hunter
08/28/20
Officials with the City of Cedar Rapids have announced that recreational vehicles can be used as temporary housing while residences are being repaired after the August 10 derecho.
The city says RVs will be permitted as temporary housing until November 15th, with extensions considered on a case-by-case basis.
The burn ban remains in effect indefinitely. The Fire Department has responded to 130 possible unauthorized burning incidents between August 13 and 26, and says that the persons involved in the incidents have been educated and were cooperative in extinguishing the fires.
Linn County Emergency Management announced that if severe storms hit the area later today, they will sound the outdoor warning sirens if winds exceed 40 miles per hour. That’s lower than normal, but with several branches still stuck in trees after the derecho, the potential for further damage exists.
Speaking of trees, the city now says the storm destroyed 65 percent of the tree canopy, more than what was previously estimated.
Motorists should be aware that the city has changed four intersections in the city from traffic signals to using signage. Those intersections include 16th Avenue at Williams Parkway, 8th Avenue Southwest at 1st Street, Ellis Boulevard Northwest at F Avenue, and A Avenue Northeast at 10th Street.
In other news, the city announced that due to cooler weather forecast for the weekend, the cooling station at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum will close at 10am Saturday.