
More from Stephen Grant
Honor Flight: Recognizing our War Heroes
(00:07:10)
From: Stephen Grant
Most World War II veterans didn’t receive accolades or experience the infamous New York City ticker-tape parade most Americans are familiar with in well-circulated photos and ...
Under The Ruler
(00:16:19)
From: Stephen Grant
Can a seven-year-old Catholic schoolboy survive ruler-wielding nuns, the mischievous antics of a troublesome twin brother and a mother who wants to be Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis?
The Final Taboo: an Interview with Indie Filmmaker Caveh Zahedi
(00:19:42)
From: Stephen Grant
Indie filmmaker Caveh Zahedi discusses the ups and downs of putting his real-life sex addiction on the screen. [Audio is temporarily not available but will be posted soon]
America's New Favorite Pastime
(00:04:57)
From: Stephen Grant
What happens to a small Iowa town when a mega-casino takes up residence?
Poetry Unbound
(00:18:29)
From: Stephen Grant
International poet Mani Rao, a recent writer-in-residence at the University of Iowa International Writing Program, has received world-wide recognition for her poetry. She ...
Soul Savers in The Big Easy
(00:29:16)
From: Stephen Grant
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, three men remained behind to rescue those stranded in New Orleans's Seventh Ward.
Reality TV: a Turn On or a Turn Off?
(00:09:30)
From: Stephen Grant
How irritating can Reality TV be? Find out who's for and who's against this American media pastime.
Piece Description
A long season of heavy rains has quickly turned 2008 into the year of the floods. Iowa and other Midwestern states have seen record-breaking river levels and watched city after city go under water destroying homes, businesses and displacing families. For some people, the only places of refuge have been makeshift shelters set up by the Red Cross. Rusty Duffy, his fiance, Jamie Rishard and their the seven-month-old son, Alexander, were taken by surprise when a levee broke and turned their small apartment building into an island. They suddenly found themselves being one of the more than five thousand homeless in the Iowa City and Coralville area. Producer Stephen Grant gives us an inside view of one family's struggles.
Broadcast History
Aired June 18th, 2008 on Iowa Public Radio's statewide networks WOI-AM 640, WSUI-AM 910
Transcript
DUFFY?S ARK
When Jamie Rishard, her seven-month-old son, Alexander, and her partner Rusty Duff went to sleep last Thursday night they weren't expecting to wake up the next morning in more than two feet of water. But overnight, the nearby levee they thought would protect them failed turning their small apartment building in Coralville into an island. With no phone, and no way out, they were trapped.
Cue 1: On the Boat we Went ?I wasn?t real sure what to do . . . on the boat we went!?
Following their evacuation, Rishard, Duffy and baby Alexander were transported to Northwest Junior High School, one of two shelters set up by the Red Cross for displaced families. After seven days at the school, they are still there trying to make the best of a bad situation. During their initial check-in, Rishard recalls being uneasy.
Cue 5: Panicked ?When we first got here, I was a little bit p...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
The report runs to 4:15. A 25 second music tail for lead-out takes the piece to 4:40
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wu Wei Suite #1 | Michael Chimenti | original music, not recorded. | 00:20 |



