If You Have Time to Scroll and Post, You Have Time to Check In With Someone

One year ago, devastating flooding hit northwest Iowa — homes lost, businesses upended, and lives forever changed. This past weekend, community members gathered in remembrance, resilience, and reflection.

But for many, the flood isn’t something that happened last year. It’s something that still feels like yesterday. I still recall sandbagging and moving office equipment up a floor back in 2008. At the time of crisis, we rise to the occasion and just do what needs to be done, including clean up. The mental toll lingers, and images haunt us at the most interesting times. 

In my work around mental health and recovery, we talk a lot about the long tail of trauma — how events like this ripple out long after the waters recede. The adrenaline of crisis fades, the donations slow down, the volunteers go home — and what’s left is the quiet, personal work of rebuilding. Not just structures and streets, but lives, relationships, and emotional stability.

It’s easy to think, “They must be doing okay by now.” But anniversaries can stir up everything: grief, anxiety, exhaustion, even guilt or anger.

So here’s a simple challenge — a human one:
If you have time to scroll and post, you have time to check in with someone.

Not everyone will need support today. But everyone deserves to know they’re not forgotten.

You don’t need the perfect words. Just presence.

💬 Thinking of you today.
📞 Hey, how’s this week feeling for you?
📦 Need help with anything — errands, childcare, a walk, a coffee? Or if you know the person well enough, don't ask; just do!

Trauma recovery isn’t linear, and community isn’t just about showing up in the first 30 days — it’s about sticking around in month 13, 14, 15…

If you’re in northwest Iowa: I see you. And if you're not, you likely know someone who has been through something hard — or still is.

Now’s a good time to check in.