Cedar Rapids: A Community Reimagined Through Flood Protection

On June 18, 2008, the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and surrounding communities were devastated by an 800-year flood. The Cedar River crested to 31 feet, with flood waters damaging thousands of homes, businesses and public buildings across nearly 10 square miles. The flood remains the sixth largest Federal Emergency Management Agency declaration in U.S. history. 

The City engaged an engineering team, including HDR, to work on a flood risk reduction system that would not only protect from future flooding events, but improve the riverfront area. Fifteen years later, we reflect on our Cedar Rapids story to show how solving an immediate problem grew into an opportunity to enhance a community for generations to come.