Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Had a friend report that some of the asphalted streets in Pierre/Ft. Pierre are "soft". Apparently Missouri Street has suffered a sewer collapse and sink hole. Divers are working hard to plug stormwater drain holes to help diminish water from flooding on the wrong side of the levees as it runs in from the Missouri with the rising water. Yet, the double edge is the unintended consequences of water from rainfall not being able to drain out.
Apparently, the hotter it gets this summer, the faster last winters snow will melt. The rain is not helping, but the snow melt is the cause of the flooding.
And as far as dealing out blame... Well thank mother nature for that. In the last month large areas of the upper missouri river drainiage areas received up to 600% above average rain fall amounts. This on top two or three winters of above average snow packs.
Lets rewind to 2002 when this part of the world was in the middle of a pretty major drought. Levels on Oahe and other bodies were far below normal... Where boat ramps were closed, water intakes for water systerms were drying than a popcorn fart. The "experts" thought it would take 40 years to fill up the lakes again. .
Some would love to blame the Army Corp of Engineers. Last time I checked, they lacked the ability to communicate with nature what nature should do. No one can control mother nature. No one. You can somewhat regulate water flows an prevent floods some of the time, never all of the time.
The whole situation is a mess from Fort Peck all the way to Gulf of Mexico.
I don't agree with your lack of blame directed at Corps of Engineers. They are very much to blame. Corps personnel are hired to manage the reservoirs. Allowing for a disaster of this magnitutude is grossly negligent. I believe the Corps could be investigated by the state in court and possible fines levied and someone could lose their jobs. Blaming the immediate weather of the last year or years does not wash. Beginning in 2003 when the lakes began to rise is when plans to avoid our present castrophe should have been scripted.
Mother nature is not to blame. Reservoir management is to blame. Those lakes need to be ready for all circumstances and can be made ready for all circumstances. They were not. Corps jobbers were on automatic pilot. Commuication from Peck to Gavins Point was on automatic pilot.
No one that lives below a dam should ever suffer flooding save for dam failure. Coordinated flowage did not happen. Hind sight is not worthy. Corps of Engineers are paid to keep those lakes and the region free of castrophe and they have the power to do that everyday by preparing for worse case scenario.
This type of mismanagement will never happen again. Safeguards have now been put into place. Our sufferings have improved coordination, communication along the Missouri drainage for years to come.
I don't agree with your lack of blame directed at Corps of Engineers. They are very much to blame. Corps personnel are hired to manage the reservoirs. Allowing for a disaster of this magnitutude is grossly negligent. I believe the Corps could be investigated by the state in court and possible fines levied and someone could lose their jobs. Blaming the immediate weather of the last year or years does not wash. Beginning in 2003 when the lakes began to rise is when plans to avoid our present castrophe should have been scripted.
Mother nature is not to blame. Reservoir management is to blame. Those lakes need to be ready for all circumstances and can be made ready for all circumstances. They were not. Corps jobbers were on automatic pilot. Commuication from Peck to Gavins Point was on automatic pilot.
No one that lives below a dam should ever suffer flooding save for dam failure. Coordinated flowage did not happen. Hind sight is not worthy. Corps of Engineers are paid to keep those lakes and the region free of castrophe and they have the power to do that everyday by preparing for worse case scenario.
This type of mismanagement will never happen again. Safeguards have now been put into place. Our sufferings have improved coordination, communication along the Missouri drainage for years to come.
Disagree all you want. In 2002 and 2003 the "experts" thought it would take 40 years to have these dams filled to capacity. Well 8 years later we are here.
Furthermore, you assert that the corp can predict with accuracy what the future hold. No one is that good. Not even me.
Did you pay attention to the amount of rainfall in the month of May in Montana and the Dakota's? 600% above "average" precip? No one no matter how good they are can totally mitigate such runoff.
Assuming they would be accuratly able to predict future water volumes... And assuming the corp could have prepared for such events, there would still have been flooding. If not here, all along the Mississippi, oh wait, it has been going on.
You can not triffle with mother nature. One can manage it to a certain point but you cannot control it, you can lessen the effects, but you can't control it 100%
You assertion that the corp is to shoulder all the blame is just plain short sighted and foolish.
Houses and property of replaceable. Lives are not. And you assume risks when you invest.
Also the state sued the corp in 2002 for low water levels. Not the same players are wanting to sue again.
Also how does the state have more power than a federal agency?
If you would look at the whole picture the corp is having to deal with flooding on the Mississippi, in fact they had to bust some levees in Missouri to save a town there... This was in early May.
It is out of banks at the source. It is a pattern that follows.
The Bad River drainage was dumped on a couple of nights ago. Bad river is well named. Again we cannot control nature. if we could, it would be between 60 and 80 year round, no snow, and rain 3 or 4 times a week...
quote=SD4020;19724239]Disagree all you want. In 2002 and 2003 the "experts" thought it would take 40 years to have these dams filled to capacity. Well 8 years later we are here.
So what. Doesn't matter what pundents write. Corps personnel are paid to manage.
Furthermore, you assert that the corp can predict with accuracy what the future hold. No one is that good. Not even me.
The corps does not need to predict anything. They need to manage flowage to avoid catastrophes
Did you pay attention to the amount of rainfall in the month of May in Montana and the Dakota's? 600% above "average" precip? No one no matter how good they are can totally mitigate such runoff.
The weather of one year should never be in a position to impact the dams.
Assuming they would be accuratly able to predict future water volumes... And assuming the corp could have prepared for such events, there would still have been flooding. If not here, all along the Mississippi, oh wait, it has been going on.
Your logic dismisses coordinated water releases--a practice used all over the globe managing river systems. Manmade flooding need not occur.
You can not triffle with mother nature. One can manage it to a certain point but you cannot control it, you can lessen the effects, but you can't control it 100%
You're ranting.
You assertion that the corp is to shoulder all the blame is just plain short sighted and foolish.
Corps of Engineers mismanagement is responsible for the flooding because they could have prevented it.
Houses and property of replaceable. Lives are not. And you assume risks when you invest.
Huh?
Also the state sued the corp in 2002 for low water levels. Not the same players are wanting to sue again.
Hahahah, oh please.
Also how does the state have more power than a federal agency?
Huh?, states can pursue.
If you would look at the whole picture the corp is having to deal with flooding on the Mississippi, in fact they had to bust some levees in Missouri to save a town there... This was in early May.
So the corps is active? That is encouraging. [/quote]
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.