Mississippi flood, causes, effects and management
- Created by: Ellie R
- Created on: 07-06-13 16:57
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- MISSISSIPPI CAUSES AND EFFECTS AND MANAGEMENT - USA 1993
- CAUSES
- The rains continued throughout May, June.
- Urbanisation of the Flood Plain - reducing infiltration rates etc.
- Poorly built non-federal levees
- The development of unsuitable sites for development
- The channelization of the river - especially at St Louis and July
- EFFECTS
- 50 people died
- 62,000 families were evacuated
- 72,000 homes were flooded
- 70% of levees were damaged
- 55 towns were wrecked
- 6 million acres of farmland was flooded
- River traffic halted for several months
- Crop losses were put at $2.6 billion
- insurance pay-outs reached $12 billion in property alone
- Stagnant water attracted mosquitoes and rats and there was a threat of disease.
- Electricity lines collapsed leaving many towns without power.
- MANAGEMENT
- DAMS AND RESERVOIRS
- 6 huge reservoirs have been built along the River Missouri to store excess water with a further 19 along the Tennessee River and its tributaries.
- AFFORESTATION
- The Tennessee Valley Authority has been increasing tree cover to delay run off into rivers.
- LEVEES
- Have been strengthened with concrete mattresses to reduce erosion of the river banks.
- DIVERSIONARY SPILLWAYS
- These are overflow channels which can store excess water in times of flood and release it after the risk of floods have passed.
- FEMA
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency has published risk assessments and encourages settlements at risk to move off the floodplain.
- FLOOD FORECASTING
- The National Weather Authority are now responsible for flood warnings along the river.
- DAMS AND RESERVOIRS
- CAUSES
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