Missouri River Levee Breaches Near Hamburg

[OmahaBlueDog]

Source: KETV Omaha


HAMBURG, Iowa -- A levee holding-back the Missouri River west of Hamburg, gave way Sunday morning, forcing the evacuation of all Army Corps of Engineer employees and other personnel working nearby, and prompting a call for residents in and near Hamburg and Fremont County to leave by Monday afternoon.

The Army Corps of Engineers as Missouri River levee L-575 in Atchison County, Mo., about two miles from the Iowa/Missouri border. It is operated and maintained by private contractors, and it was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Crews worked Saturday near the site to repair another breach.

Both Iowa and Missouri Emergency Management Agencies were notified Sunday of the levee's failure. Water was already filling farm fields by mid-morning Sunday, and the breach expected to threaten Hamburg by Monday. Interstate 29 also is at risk of flooding, but it remained dry Sunday.


Read more: http://www.ketv.com/missouri-river-flooding-extended-coverage/28136503/detail.html

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This story, in and of itself, is not huge. However, it is likely the beginning of a new stage in an ongoing flood event that is widely expected to cover I-29 in 4-6 feet of water in Southwest Iowa. Expect to see many more stories like this (and I know Omaha Steve has also been posting on this).

This is not Katrina-like, where there will be widespread loss of life (Thank God!). Nevertheless, this is likely to be a huge flooding event, and highly disruptive to agriculture and transportation. Also, the floodwater is expected to possibly remain for months. I'd urge anyone from any state to send a friendly e-mail to the WH and ask the President to get FEMA and DeptAg out in front of this. Right now, officials are talking about a river crest on/around 6/14.

[liberal N proud]

1. Thanks for the update

I have been following this with many friends and family in the region.

I can only hope that everyone is out of harms way at this point.

[OmahaBlueDog]

2. They are getting out, but (as this story shows) storing your belongings is getting difficult

Storage Units Full; Others Filling Up Fast
Flooding Forces Evacuees To Find Place For Belongings

OMAHA, Neb. -- Not only will evacuees need a place to stay, they’ll also need somewhere to put their belongings.

From Blair to Plattsmouth, storage facility operators said they have been inundated with requests for space. But many of their units are already full.

Even in Omaha, the requests are coming in.

“Yesterday, it really kicked in. We got a lot of calls yesterday,” said Abby Bynum, manager of Dino’s Storage at 27th and Dodge streets.

Bynum said they’re getting calls from people already displaced by the floods and those still waiting to know their fate.

Read more: http://www.ketv.com/missouri-river-flooding-extended-coverage/28125740/detail.html#ixzz1OQcQyLXk

[aquart]

3. We've been forgetting what's still going on mid-country.

Thanks.

No, it isn't Katrina. But it sucks.

[OmahaBlueDog]

4. You're Welcome. Somebody needs to mention this

It can't all be about Sarah Palin flubbing her history.

[aquart]

10. Keep it up. It's too easy to get distracted by newer events.

And this is going to go on for a long time.

[msongs]

5. mother nature is updating the fertility of the soil, a process humans deny her nt

[postulater]

6. Depositing the soil in Nebraska keeps it from dumping into the Gulf.

I would guess that the people who live near the River know that they periodically risk an evacuation and are prepared for it. Or at least they should be helped to evacuate if they are not prepared.

[bluedigger]

7. Save the emails to the WH.

It is the respective Governors' responsibility to ask for assistance, still. FEMA is as proactive as it can be, but I can assure you that they are stretched very thin right now. Busier than the proverbial one-armed paperhanger. If you want to lobby officials, ask your representatives to fund FEMA better.

I hope everybody up there is OK!

[OmahaBlueDog]

8. Sorry, Bluedigger - I've gotta disagree here

Between Joplin and the floods, I'm going to push the WH and my Congresscritters to appoint a 2011 Midwest Disaster Czar. We need someone who can work across lines with FEMA, DOT, and D-of-Ag (to name a few). Also, it's a multistate disaster; we need to have someone helping to coordinate SoDak, Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri's responses (JMHO).

[bluedigger]

9. How do you figure?

That is exactly FEMA's role - they are a management agency, that helps coordinate disaster response and relief, not the first responders so many seem to think. And they are organized regionally already. You are just calling for another layer of bureaucracy.:shrug:

Here is the current list of this years declared disasters, all of which are probably ongoing:
http://www.gismaps.fema.gov/2011pages/lcurrent.shtm

I know things are bleak up there, but the fact is that it is too late now for prevention, and the next steps are rescue and then recovery. The first will be largely in the hands of local responders, and FEMA will play a larger role in the latter. The best way to help everybody in the long term is increased funding and staffing of FEMA.