By Dave Wallrichs, GreatAmerica – Ten years ago, on June 13th, Cedar Rapids experienced a “500 Year Flood” of the Cedar River, which normally flows gently within its banks next to our building. The event was ranked as the sixth largest FEMA Declaration in history at the time that it happened.
The sun was shining and it was a perfect summer afternoon. Yet, a series of weather events over the previous eight months would play a major role in what would be a defining event for GreatAmerica Financial Services. On this day, GreatAmerica would be displaced from our headquarters in downtown Cedar Rapids for approximately three months. Thankfully, we had a plan in place for this kind of event and it was the foundation of our survival in the wake of the historic flooding we would experience. While our plan worked, those three months out of our office taught us a lot and reinforced the importance of Business Continuity here at GreatAmerica.
