Tri-state flood dilemma

[John Farley]

Below are several articles regarding a difficult dilemma faced by the Army Corps of Engineers. Under an plan dating to 1928, and pretty much signed off on by everyone involved (back when there wasn't an actual flood), the Corps has the right to blow up a levee and flood about half of Mississippi County, MO, in order to save the city of Cairo, IL from catastrophic flooding. The plan has only been used once, back in 1937. But with the Ohio River at Cairo (where it flows into the Mississippi) expected to crest in the next day or two at a foot higher than the record crest, it may be used again. It is possible that the only way to prevent the entire city of Cairo and its 3,000 residents from being flooded is to flood farmland in the river flats of Mississippi County, MO - putting nearly half the county and thousands of acres of farmland, and the homes of about 90 people, under water. A judge has ruled that the Corps plan is legal and the Corps has the legal right to blow the levee. For now, the Corps is holding off on doing so - but it presents a classic moral dilemma - take an action that will flood out 90 people and thousands of acres of farms (who may not be able to collect on their insurance because it is a human act), or take no action with the result that 30 times as many people will be flooded out. This makes me REALLY glad that I am not the person that has to make this decision!

The first article gives an overview of the situation; the second describes to legal arguments and the court case, and third is a brief article on the cout's decision and the reaction of the Illinois governor to it. (Missouri has taken the opposite position in the case; Kentucky, which is also impacted, has sided with Illinois.)

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_4b291d28-a1d6-5c8d-a996-c82d8ec59d3e.html

http://www.stltoday.com/news/state-...cle_c5a36dba-3c48-5b82-a2b5-dce3f9f419e9.html

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illinois/article_d79f3680-7296-11e0-88be-0019bb30f31a.html

 

[Elaine Spencer]

This blog post (from Capitol Fax, an Illinois political blog) includes some stunning pictures of the flooding in the Cairo area, including sand boils that have erupted downtown:

http://capitolfax.com/2011/04/29/judge-rules-against-missouri/

Also, several media outlets report this morning that a federal appeals court has refused to block the levee blasting plan.

An important point overlooked in some of the media coverage is that the levee blasting plan is not just for Cairo's sake -- many other downriver communities could be affected if the waters keep rising and certain levees breach in an uncontrolled manner. In a worst-case scenario close to 1 million acres in IL, MO, AR, KY and TN could be under water.

 

[John Farley]

With the Ohio River at Cairo having reached a record stage of more than 21.4 feet above flood stage, the Corps of Engineers began the process of breaching the levee a little before 20 p.m. this evening.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/02/missouri.levee.breach/index.html?hpt=T2

 

[Danny Neal]

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/...iders-blasting-levee-20110502,0,4082962.story - They blasted the levee.

 

[Drew.Gardonia]

I think the USACOE should have to reimburse the families in Missouri that will lose their houses and have damage to their farmlands and losses of their crops. this is absurd.

 

[James Hilger]

This happened where I live a year or so ago in NW Arkansas but the damage caused by it wasn't near the same. People tried to sue also but were unsuccessful.

 

[rdale]

I think the USACOE should have to reimburse the families in Missouri that will lose their houses and have damage to their farmlands and losses of their crops. this is absurd.

Absurd in what way? From what I read, there will be farmland damage but not structural damage. The alternative is losing hundreds of homes and businesses if they didn't relieve the pressure.

And of course they will be reimbursed, more likely by FEMA.

 

[Logan Karsten]

It's also important to keep in mind that the farmland was designated as a floodway way back after the floods of 1927. It was written into law that if the Ohio/Mississippi Rivers ever got high enough, USACOE had the legal right to blow up levees and flood that land to save towns along the river. Those who owned land in this area knew that risk. Now, I don't know which solution is economically more expensive. Is it more costly to lose 130,000 acres of farmland over a given time period or lose a town of 2,800 people?

 

[Chris Gullikson]

Sounds like a great opportunity to restore this land back to native floodplain by not rebuilding the levee or the farms that have been affected.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Video of the blast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9niLNQzh2Y

 

[Andrew Burnett]

sounds like the town needs moved.

 

[N Parker]

Just remember, this was done for everyone, not just Cairo. We've seen water in places that 98% of our population has never seen before. Water is backed up for miles and miles inland. Yes, I am right in the middle of it. No damage here thankfully, but know alot of folks in harms way. With the breaching of the levee, we've watched the Mississippi river begin to drop and the lower sections on the Ohio are falling as well or cresting alot lower than originally thought. The Cumberland and Tennessee rivers are pumping alot of water into the Ohio right now bleeding pressure off the Barkley and Kentucky dams, which were at maximum capacity trying to hold back as much as possible for awhile as not to inflame the already horrid situation brewing downstream. There has been alot of controversy around the whole Birds Point levee knockdown, and I feel for the farmers and people that suffered loss, but it has truely turned things around for each and every one of us along the two great rivers. What folks need to remember is that this flood is greater in places than the 1937 flood, which was the worst ever. Special problems call for special solutions....

 

[Melissa Jablonski]

I think when people bought the land they had to have been told about this possibility. I could be wrong though.