Premiere: “Lessons Learned: The Iowa Disasters of 2008”

When: Wednesday, June 1, 5:45 p.m. (reception at 5 p.m., prior to the viewing)

Where: State Historical Building, 600 East Locust St., Des Moines

LESSONS LEARNED: THE IOWA DISASTERS OF 2008’ DOCUMENTARY TO PREMIERE JUNE 1 

Rebuild Iowa Office, Wartburg Television Document Lessons from Iowa Communities Recovering from 2008 Disasters

(DES MOINES) – The Rebuild Iowa Office (RIO) invites the public to attend the premiere of “Lessons Learned: The Iowa Disasters of 2008,” on Wednesday, June 1, at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.

Between May 25 and Aug. 13, 2008, more than 85 of Iowa’s 99 counties and 40,000 Iowans were impacted by record-setting floods, tornadoes and severe weather. This hour-long documentary, produced by Wartburg Television in partnership with the RIO, features interviews with leaders from nine disaster-impacted communities, detailing local recovery efforts and lessons learned.

Interviewees from Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Des Moines, Mason City, New Hartford, Oakville, Parkersburg and Waverly share vivid memories of the initial disaster events and response, and talk candidly about what they have learned during the last three years of recovery.

The evening begins with a 5 p.m. reception, followed at 5:45 p.m. with the documentary viewing. The documentary will be introduced with brief comments by RIO Chief of Staff Emily Shields and Wartburg College’s Dr. Jeff Stein, the R.J. McElroy Chair and Executive-in-Residence, as well as the Administrator of Archives of Iowa Broadcasting.

At its inception in July of 2008, one of the tasks given to the RIO was capturing lessons learned from the 2008 statewide disaster recovery effort. This collaboration with Dr. Stein and Wartburg College students Nate Vaughn and Ben Read is one piece of that effort, and one of the RIO’s final projects prior to the office’s sunset at the end of June. This documentary is intended to provide direction for Iowa communities to help each better plan and prepare for major recovery efforts before disasters strike.