Poplar Bluff, MO Levee Break! Evacuate Now

[Quiche]

Illinois AG calls Missouri filing 'unfortunate'

Quote: Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Sunday to block federal officials from destroying a Mississippi River levee as they try to prevent flooding in the small Illinois city of Cairo.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-severeweather-mad,0,3851906.story

I think the levees are going to have to fail where they fail...we'll see how this plays out.

 

[Daisyjane]

Illinois AG calls Missouri filing 'unfortunate'

Quote: Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Sunday to block federal officials from destroying a Mississippi River levee as they try to prevent flooding in the small Illinois city of Cairo.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-severeweather-mad,0,3851906.story

I think the levees are going to have to fail where they fail...we'll see how this plays out.

Oh, boy, now it's state against state, and 'whose city is expendable'. Right now it's raining down there again, and will continue for another couple of days. Flash flood warnings are in effect just to the south.

I'm about 130 miles north of this area, but I went to college at Cape Girardeau and the area still feels like 'home' in some ways. Those are small towns and family farms that are in jeopardy. Whether the Corp takes out the levee or Mother Nature does the job herself, I don't see a good outcome either way.

 

[Daisyjane]

This sounds like 'lock and load'.

http://www.facebook.com/kfvs12

Maj. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, President of the Mississippi River Commission, has directed Col. Vernie Reichling, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District Commander and field crews to move the barges across the river to Missouri and load the pipes with the binary agent at the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway. This will take around 20 hours. No final decision has been made, say the Corps

Some people are saying that if it's a man-made breach, insurance won't cover damages. Does anyone know whether that's true?

 

[wfgodot]

Lengthy CNN article:

Missouri takes levee battle to U.S. Supreme Court

---
"It's like we have to sit around and wait, and that really, really terrifies me," [Dexter MO resident Amanda] Jones said. She said Dexter is on a hill and not in a flood plain, but is worried about the blast triggering a possible earthquake on the New Madrid Fault, which runs through the region. "The flood might not get me, but the earthquake will," she said.
---

I'd hate to lose Cairo, but that much explosive power near the New Madrid? Egad.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

Cairo is a city in Alexander County, Illinois in the United States. It is the county seat of Alexander County. The population was 2,831 at the 2010 census, in stark contrast to its 1920 peak of 15,203.

Cairo is going to be a ghost town soon. I think they should "save" the farmland since that it is more valuable to more people.

This is the downtown area of Cairo:

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo,_Illinois

 

[carbuff]

What a heartwrenching decisions. Prayers for the safety of all involved.

 

[Daisyjane]

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/supreme_court_doesnt_stop_levee_break_that_would_flood_farmland_save_town/

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. refused to issue an order Sunday evening blocking U.S. officials from breaking a levee in an effort to save a small Illinois town.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the break, which will flood 130,000 acres of farmland in his state to avoid flooding in Cairo, Ill. The Associated Press, Bloomberg and the New York Times have stories. The Mississippi and Ohio rivers are at their highest levels since 1937. They merge near Cairo, a town of about 3,000 residents that has already been evacuated because of the flood threat.

Flooding the farmland, which includes about 100 homes, will cause about $314 million in damage, compared to $1.7 billion in damage if the levee breaks or overflows in other areas, Bloomberg says.

 

[Daisyjane]

It has been said that 61 feet is the level at which the floodway program would be enacted.

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/14549186/still-no-word-on-birds-point

NEW MADRID COUNTY, MO (KFVS) -UPDATE: The latest forecast from the National Weather Service estimates the river at Cairo will crest at 63 feet on May 4.--------------------------------------

The final execution of the plan to blow the Front Line levee at Birds Point could take place Monday. Breaking the levee means flood ing about 133,000 acres of farmland and 100 homes in Mississippi and New Madrid counties.If the Army Corps of Engineers decides not to break the levee, the city of Cairo could flood as the Ohio River continues to rise.

The corps last said they are still in a holding pattern monitoring the rising river levels. However, the corps released a statement calling for media to be in Sikeston at 10 a.m. to register for credentials IF a decision to blow the levee is made. The corps is still pumping in the slurry mix explosive agent into the pipes in the levee Monday morning.

 

[Quiche]

Water tops levee in southern Illinois

Quote: Patti Thompson is spokeswoman for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. She says officials received a report that water was higher than the levee at Olive Branch in Alexander County.

http://www.wrex.com/Global/story.asp?S=14554879

 

[dsntslp]

Army Corps is close to decision on Missouri levee

http://www.wrex.com/Global/story.asp?S=14556190

Associated Press - May 2, 2011 3:54 PM ET

SIKESTON, Mo. (AP) - Officials are close to a final decision on whether to blast open a Mississippi River levee in a bid to protect the Illinois town of Cairo (KAY-row) from rising floodwaters.

The Army Corps of Engineers said Monday it would announce its intentions at 5 p.m. CDT. If the corps decides to break the flood wall, the actual demolition is expected to begin about three hours later at the Birds Point levee.

Missouri officials oppose the move, saying it could inundate 130,000 acres of farmland and hurt the region's economy by covering the land under sand and silt and rendering it useless.

The corps and the state of Illinois say the demolition is crucial to relieving river pressure on the floodwall protecting Cairo.

 

[Daisyjane]

There have been a number of levee breaches and top-overs this afternoon, so I'm not sure it will be necessary anymore.

 

[Stella5]

They are blowing the levee! My condolences to the farmers, but preserving a town of homes with families is a bit more important than farm fields.

 

[Daisyjane]

http://www.facebook.com/kfvs12

US Army Corps of Engineers says they will "execute" the Birds Point - New Madrid Floodway Tuesday. They are finishing preparations overnight tonight. Execution is scheduled for sometime between 10am and 1pm Tuesday, May 3.

 

[dsntslp]

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/14549186/still-no-word-on-birds-point

NEW MADRID COUNTY, MO (KFVS) -

Maj. General Michael Walsh, President of the Mississippi River Commission, says he has decided to operate the floodway project at Birds Point - New Madrid Floodway.

The will execute the project between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday.

They are in the final stages of preparation of the charges.

Watch the announcement live on KFVS12 and kfvs12.com.

ETA: LOL Daisy Jane, two minds - one post, sry for stepping on yours.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

They are blowing the levee! My condolences to the farmers, but preserving a town of homes with families is a bit more important than farm fields.

It's a bit different when that town is a rural crime-ridden wasteland that is going to be a ghost town in a decade. The farmland feeds thousands of people. It is much more valuable.

This is Cairo:

It's definitely not more important than farmland.

Source: http://luvy1994.blogspot.com/2009/06/cairo-illinois-is-known-to-be-strangest.html

 

[Daisyjane]

Correction:
Schedule should read
1st stage of project operates tonight 9pm to midnight
2nd phase of project operates 1am to 4am
3rd phase of project operates 10am to 1pm

 

[Daisyjane]

It's a bit different when that town is a rural crime-ridden wasteland that is going to be a ghost town in a decade. The farmland feeds thousands of people. It is much more valuable.

This is Cairo:

It's definitely not more important than farmland.

Source: http://luvy1994.blogspot.com/2009/06/cairo-illinois-is-known-to-be-strangest.html

My sentiments exactly. And during the press conference, the Major kept emphasizing this does not solve the crisis, it's only a temporary fix and the waters will rise again, perhaps within a few days.

 

[Quiche]

It's a bit different when that town is a rural crime-ridden wasteland that is going to be a ghost town in a decade. The farmland feeds thousands of people. It is much more valuable.

This is Cairo:

It's definitely not more important than farmland.

Source: http://luvy1994.blogspot.com/2009/06/cairo-illinois-is-known-to-be-strangest.html

I'm not sure what your picture means, but I did a street level google the other day, and Cairo looks like there are plenty of homes being lived in. Main Streets all over the United States, imo, are fallow due to big business moving in (Walmart, for example). I feel they're making the right decision preserving the neighborhoods. jmo

 

[dsntslp]

Cairo, Illinois Flood of 2011

[video=youtube;abxmdTW9Kcw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abxmdTW9Kcw[/video]

There is a part one and two.

 

[Quiche]

Thank you for that, Dsntslp, that video is indicative of what I was seeing. The Main St. stretch is somewhat neglected, but it's certainly not all that's going on in that town.