Sandbagging and Levee Breaches
Shelley on Thursday, 2008-06-19
CNN has a summary post of the levee breaches and the state of flooding in both Illinois and Missouri, including links to videos on the levee break at Winfield. The films especially show how dangerous levee breaches can be, and why we so desperately try to prevent them.
I impulsively ran out of the house yesterday to help sandbag, only stopping to grab gloves on the way. I forgot to put on suntan lotion or a hat, and my face is pretty burned and swollen today. I won't be going out to sandbag during the day, but plan on going out this evening when the sun is down.
There is still a threat of major flooding and levee breaches all down the Mississippi in Missouri and Illinois, so there's still a desperate need for sandbaggers.
Comments
I can't do much from here other than send you good wishes, so here they are.
D and I hold you in our thoughts - stay well.
Unfortunately for the communities impacted, the levee breaches were enough to lower flood levels so that other communities won't be hit as hard.
We're going to have to rethink the levee system along the Mississippi. We will continue to have these major floods until we let this river equalize itself.
Is giving to the Red Cross an effective means to help?
Keep you and everyone there in my thoughts.
Red Cross seems to be settling into specific roles now. One is disaster preparation, and training people in life saving techniques, how to prepare for storms and that sort of thing.
The second is providing shelter. Red Cross really is expert at providing shelter, and that's what it has been doing during this flood.
The Red Cross rarely runs the canteens for volunteers or does any disaster management, like it used to in the past. The canteens are now run by Salvation Army or local people, and management is handled by trained county and state personnel, and FEMA.
The donations will help, not here, but generally. For local donations, probably the humane society is one of the most local. I'm not sure what other organizations are going to help, not yet.
Thanks for your good wishes, Karl. The folks here will need them.
Shelley my heart goes out to everyone in the disaster areas & my thoughts are with everyone in the flooded areas, I have many family & friends that have been affected by the various disasters of the last few years. How bad is it in Mo and where is the worse happening? I know the whole state is pretty soggy. I am sorry that the media hasn't found it necessary to update much, even having hundreds of tv channels and w/my amateur computer skills, it it hard to find info. There seems to be no ONE outlet for up-to-date info. With so much happening across the country, it would be nice to have.
I am sure your volunteer efforts w/sand-bagging have been appreciated. Thanks for such a nice site about MO.