Social chaos could add another dimension to this potential disaster. In the meantime, governments are doing what they can to fix potential Y2K problems. Iowa's state government just received a glowing report about its Year 2000 Project. It ranked Iowa ahead of most states in readiness but warned that contingency plans should be in place. Report cards for city and county governments are varied.
Some cities are more or less already finished.
But there are a large number of cities, especially smaller cities, that have done virtually nothing. The Iowa League of Cities believes nine of every 10 cities in Iowa are prepared, though the organization is worried about small towns that may not think they will be affected. Some of the warnings, perhaps, are meant to scare agencies into action. The National Association of Counties said in December that half of the nation's counties had no plan to deal with Y2K problems. Of particular concern is the 911 emergency phone system.