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Water Breaches Levee, Floods Small Towns in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri (Midwest flood update 3)
MISSISSIPPI RIVER: The flood waters that devastated Iowa are swelling the Mississippi River to dangerous levels. Water breached a levee at Gulfport, Ill., Tuesday, and threatens 26 more levees between Gulfport and St. Louis.
Volunteers and National Guard troops rushed to shore up other levees along the Mississippi in danger of collapsing. Meanwhile, flooding in Iowa ruined 3.3 million acres of crops and left more than 38,000 homeless. Residents in one small Missouri town watched as the Mississippi flooded their town for the third time in just 15 years.
Water Breaks Carthage Lake Levee, Floods Gulfport
Gulfport is in northwestern Illinois, about 240 miles west of Chicago.
Early Tuesday, the levee at Carthage Lake, five miles south of Gulfport, gave way and caused the following:
- stranded a dozen levee workers who were later airlifted to safety
- forced all residents of Gulfport to evacuate after town flooded
- flooded farmland for 25 miles along the Mississippi River
- closed Great River Bridge connecting Illinois and Missouri
According to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' spokesman Ron Fournier, there is no way to accurately predict which of the other threatened levees may give way.
Small Missouri Town Floods Third Time in 15 Years
Just 78 miles away, the small town of La Grange, Mo., faced its third flood in 15 years.
Unable to stop the Mississippi, La Grange's 1,000 residents watched as the river...
- flooded streets
- submerged the post office
- endangered City Hall
- threatened homes
Residents rebuilt their homes and town in 1993 and again in 2001 after similar flooding.
"A third time? I can't do it," said La Grange's former mayor, Harold Ludwig. "I'm sorry." (Los Angeles Times, 6/18/08)
Government Promises Help for Midwest Flood Victims
President Bush is scheduled to tour the Iowa disaster area on Thursday. He said federal help will be available for flood victims.
"I fully understand people are upset when they lose their homes," Bush said. "A person's home is their most valued possession." (BBC News, 6/18/08)
Bill Vogel, a federal coordinator with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said a joint federal and state task force is discussing how best to help displaced flood victims.
The House of Representatives is considering allocating $2 billion in aid for farmers.
How Much Will Flood Cost Iowa?
The flood has already caused billions of dollars of damage across Iowa:
| Lost Crops: | $2.7 billion |
| Rebuilding Cedar Rapids: | $1 billion |
| Final Cost: | estimated to exceed $21 billion price tag of 1993 flood |
Floods wiped out more than 3 million acres of Iowa cropland, driving prices up:
- Corn—now $8 a bushel and may go as high as $10 by end of July
- Soybeans—now $15 a bushel and may rise to $20 by end of July
With such extensive damage to corn and soybean crops, the long-term price tag will be even higher.
Copyright © 2008 Informify
Question for Readers:
When a disaster hits, people pitch in to help. Do you think we could foster that kind of helpfulness every day, even when we're not facing a disaster?
Corn: Why is It Important?
Floods now cover more than 15% of Iowa's growing land, so there won't be as big a corn crop this year.
Why does it matter? We depend on corn and corn derivatives in many ways:
- ethanol (fuel)
- PLA plastics (to replace petroleum products)
- penicillin production
- intravenous solutions
- recycled paper
- industrial solvents
- fiber for clothing
This year's rise in the cost of corn will affect many industries, from meat packers to paper mills.
(Source: Iowa Corn Growers Association)
Red Cross Needs $15 Million to Help Flood, Tornado Victims
Though local Red Cross chapters have their own resources, it's the national disaster relief fund that covers the cost of large-scale tragedies like the Midwest flood.
"Right now, the balance in our disaster relief fund is sitting close to zero," said Laura Howe, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross. "We anticipate that the series of tornadoes and floods we've had since the beginning of April is going to cost our organization about $15 million."
The Red Cross is always the first to help when disaster strikes; now, it's up to the public to help the Red Cross.
No donation is too small: $1 buys a bottle of water for someone in an area where drinking water is contaminated.
(Source: ABC News, 6/18/08)
Story Sources
Midwest flood woes head south (Los Angeles Times, 6/18/08)
Floodwaters surge over Midwest levee (CNN, 6/18/08)
Mississippi breaks Midwest levee (BBC News, 6/18/08)
Midwest flooding spurs record corn prices (Reuters, 6/18/08)
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Show/Hide commentsThreat brings out the best in humans
marilyn from Red FEather Lakes, CO said:
| It's difficult to sustain that altruistic behavior for a long period of time. During a disaster we let go of our own concerns to help when the threat is huge--as in this flooding. But as the threat recedes we go back to our own business of survival. We COULD at least be kinder and gentler if we tried practicing simple manners instead of selfishness for a change. |
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