On Sunday, June 21, the Mississippi River crested in parts of
northern Missouri and Illinois, signaling what we hope is the beginning of the
end of the worst flooding for much of the Midwest. Although for some cities
farther south the river isn’t expected to crest until Wednesday, it’s expected
that it will stay below the 1993 levels. This is small consolation, though, for
those whose homes are flooded now. Levees—some of them shored up by volunteers with
sandbags—held in many places, while in others, such as rural Lincoln County, MO,
more than 90% of the levees were overtopped or breached.
What’s next for some of the hardest-hit areas? Beyond the
immediate cleanup efforts, what do the flood-control and stormwater
professionals in these regions face first once the water recedes?
During the flooding in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina,
there was initially great concern about water quality in the Gulf and in Lake
Pontchartrain as the flood waters delivered debris and potentially hazardous
waste, including that from oil refineries, which would not have reached them
under ordinary circumstances. However, with the use of booms to contain
industrial spills and aerators and other devices set up to treat the water, the
damage there turned out to be not as great as some had feared.
What will the effects on water quality be in the Midwest?
What lessons in flood control will these areas take away from the extraordinary
events of the last several days? Will the floods fundamentally change how
stormwater is managed here?
If you’re in the flood region—or in an area that has
experienced severe flooding in the past, either from storms such as these or
from hurricanes—tell us about your experience.