Repair of roads, sidewalks and driveways damaged by the derecho still ongoing

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – About 500 sidewalks, roads and driveways have been damaged by the derecho, according to the city of Cedar Rapids.

Some were only a few steps from where children played, while others were so mangled that it was difficult to know where to begin.

“I’ve noticed more and more that there was a lot of stuff undone,” said Rhonda Esser, a Cedar Rapids resident.

In February, Esser relocated to Oakland’s Northeast neighborhood. She claims that her neighbors walk their dogs and that people run and ride bicycles on a daily basis.

“They walk late at night, and somebody might trip and hurt themselves,” said Esser.

The city said a contractor has notified the homeowners of the damaged sidewalks and was going to repair them. Under normal circumstances, these repairs would be made by the owners of the property. $388,377 was awarded by the city to the contract to make the repairs. The city would submit those costs to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

While the city said it would continue repairs into 2022, Esser said the state of the roads, sidewalks, and driveways was surprising a year later.

“Hopefully, she’ll think it gets done,” said Esser.