Nearly three months ago I shared with you the devastating effects of the great flood of 2011 on the people of Mississippi County, Missouri. I invited you to contact the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and implore them to “do the right thing” and help these folks put their lives back together. Many of you did; many sent me copies of your emails and of responses from the Corps. Again, my heartfelt thanks for that! We were joined by voices of elected officials and empathetic people from all over the country and things looked hopeful. Unfortunately, it hasn’t turned out as hoped and the people of Mississippi County are struggling. Here is the situation –
Thank You!
In the first 24 hours after I put up the post “Tell the Corps: Do The Right Thing!” 265 people read the blog post. Many have emailed me, saying they were planning to or already had written Mr. Pogue at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to encourage quick action on rebuilding the levee at Birds Point in Mississippi County, Missouri. People have posted links on their facebook and other social networking pages to encourage their friends and some have said “I will send this on to everyone I know.”
Tell the Corps: Do The Right Thing!
This post will be longer than usual. I hope you will bear with me – there are some good people who could use your help. But first, some background.
Mississippi County, Missouri, is a place where many people’s roots go very deep. Unlike some agricultural communities where family farms have succumbed to wealthy corporations, many of the farmers here are working land that has been in their family for three or four generations. My friends Sam and Silvey Barker grew up in this county on land that was first cleared by their respective grandparents, long before the current system of levees and spillways existed.
What Matters
Some of the stories of the great Mississippi River Flood of 2011 being presented to me are complex and multi-layered and involve sorting through decisions which were made that benefited some and seriously hurt others. Such a story will be coming soon when I share the plight of the farmers of Mississippi County, Missouri.
Other stories are simple and luminous – they just shine up out of the mud and mess and can be shared with you just as they appeared to me. Such is the story of Etta and Joe Hughes of Morehouse, Missouri.
Stories of the Mississippi River Flood of 2011
After my recent trip to the flooded area of southeast Missouri known as the bootheel, I came home to meet a previous commitment for the days since then. I am just now resurfacing to catch up with the news and see the effects of flooding on the lower Mississippi. Another trip is in the planning stage – but, for now, I want to share some of the stories of the people of the flooded land of the Missouri bootheel.
Carolyn – Faces of the 2011 Flood
I met Carolyn in a shelter for flood victims at the First Baptist Church in Morehouse, Missouri. Although Morehouse isn’t directly on the Mississippi River, flood waters quickly rose when systems that normally drain into the Mississippi backed up. The situation was further complicated when a dyke created to keep nearby Highway 60 open for traffic diverted even more water into town. No one had much warning and most of the small town’s homes sustained water damage. I plan to tell you more about Morehouse in an upcoming post, but since I won’t be available to post again for several days, I want to introduce you to Carolyn.
Images From the 2011 Mississippi River Flood
Just a few hours ago, I returned from visiting the flooded area of southeast Missouri where the Bird’s Point Levee was breached on May 3rd. Even after touring the area by plane for an entire morning and by boat for an entire afternoon, it is still difficult to comprehend the magnitude of the event that continues to unfold as I write this.
I have many photos of the nearly unrecognizable Mississippi River at the confluence with the equally distorted Ohio River, and the vast expanses of submerged land that, until a few weeks ago, held homes, crops and livelihoods. Even after seeing all this with my own eyes, it isn’t until you look into the eyes of the people and listen to their stories that the true magnitude of it all begins to register.
The Mississippi River Flood of 2011
As the massive bulge of Mississippi floodwater makes its way southward, we know that lives have been lost, as have homes, crops and businesses. We see people hauling what belongings they can carry in laundry baskets, wading through brown water or rowing a boat to their front door and our hearts ache for them. We know that the water will recede in weeks or months and leave behind a horrendous, smelly mess. For some, the crest has passed with less damage than anticipated; for others the losses are great, and for others the outcome is still very much an unknown.
Reaching Out
Like most of us, I have watched the news of flooding along the Mississippi with my heart in my throat. I have thought about my many River friends and acquaintances with great compassion as this event unfolds.
Record snowfalls and spring downpours are creating unprecedented water levels, already destroying many homes and thousands of acres of crops. As the massive surge of water makes its way south, many thousands are evacuating and preparing as best they can, then waiting and praying. Such levels of water have not been seen since the historic floods of 1927 and 1937. Many changes in levees and floodways, designed to prevent the destruction that occurred at that time, have been made in the years since then. However, the system has not been tested by flooding of this magnitude. Record water levels combined with the relatively slow pace of the surge is putting enormous stress on the entire system.