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CAT Tracks for May 5, 2011
IT'S THURSDAY |
The calendar says it's Cinco de Mayo. For Cairoites living in forced exile, it's Groundhog Day.
Yeah, I'm still bitter...but I'll leave it at that.
Once again, I will be posting stories during the day as I find them.
If they seem to have a familiar ring to them, well...
Welcome to our world!
From the Southeast Missourian...
Corps again delays third levee breach; will blast at 1 p.m. today
Thursday, May 5, 2011
By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian
The final blast in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to breach the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway will happen at 1 p.m. today, the corps announced Wednesday night.
The announcement came shortly after it was learned the third and final blast was being delayed again, this time due to "logistical challenges," corps spokesman Jim Pogue said Wednesday afternoon.
"It looks like the timeline is getting pushed out a little further," Pogue said at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. "But the smart money says it ain't going to happen tonight."
Shortly after 9 p.m., the corps made the announcement about the today's blast.
The corps had already twice delayed this third controlled breaching, which would create a second 5,500-foot outflow hole for Mississippi River waters to escape the 200-square-mile floodway. After the corps activated the plan Monday night by blowing a 11,000-foot inflow break, it intended to blow the second and third holes near New Madrid, Mo., on Tuesday.
But the corps encountered lightning in the overnight hours Tuesday morning, which caused it to delay the second and third detonations. Tuesday afternoon the corps detonated the second phase for outflow at the southern end of the floodway near New Madrid, Mo. Then, during a news conference Tuesday evening, corps officers announced they were unable to follow through with plans for the third because they and did not have enough explosives for the third breach.
"It's just taking longer," Pogue said. "We're into some stuff that hasn't necessarily been rehearsed before. It's logistical challenges."
The corps had acquired additional explosives from a vendor in Marion, Ill., Wednesday.
The corps activated the floodway, inundating the 130,000 acres of Southeast Missouri farmland, in an effort to lower floodwaters in communities in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.
The Ohio River at Cairo, Ill., was at 59.71 feet at 10 p.m. Wednesday, down from its historic crest of 61.72 feet at 10 p.m. Monday, before the effects of the first levee blast were felt. The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau was at 43.64 as of 10 p.m. Wednesday, down from its crest of 46.28 feet Monday. The record at Cape Girardeau is 48.5 feet.
As the corps continues to work toward completing the floodway's activation, more information surfaced Wednesday about how much the breaching could cost Mississippi County. According to estimates from the Center for Economic and Business Research at Southeast Missouri State University, the intentional breaching of the levee could cost Mississippi County 522 jobs this year alone.
Dr. Bruce Domazlicky, director of the center, used the IMPLAN model to estimate the economic impact of 130,000 acres of farmland underwater. The value of the land, about half of Mississippi County's total cultivated farmland, is estimated at $300 million by the Missouri Department of Agriculture.
Net cash income from farming in Mississippi County was $39 million in the last agricultural census in 2007.
Anticipating a one-half reduction in agricultural production in Mississippi County, to $19.5 million, yields an employment decline of 522 jobs in 2011, according to Domazlicky's calculations. This represents almost 9 percent of total full-time equivalent employment in Mississippi County.
Labor income is estimated to fall by about $12 million, about 9 percent of the county's total labor income.
Total revenue/sales in the county will decline by $93,457,000 or 14.4 percent.
The figures are estimated just for 2011 using the IMPLAN model which looks at the direct, indirect and the induced effects of an economic change.
"If it is several years until the flooded acres become usable again, we can expect similar impacts to continue into the future," Domazlicky said.
From the Southern Illinoisan...
Cairo: Improving, but still not safe
BY BRENT STEWART THE SOUTHERN
CAIRO - Despite lowering river levels, Cairo's not out of the water just yet.
Flash flooding around the town from Sunday and Monday's rains has covered main access roads.
Cairo Police and Alexander County Sheriff's deputies manned a roadblock at the intersection of Illinois 51 and Illinois 37, limiting entrance to the city to essential personnel.
"It's still dangerous," said Alexander County Sheriff Timothy Brown.
A viaduct near Cairo Junior/Senior High School had been completely flooded on Monday and traffic was rerouted from a dirt road behind the school to Washington Avenue.
Portions of Illinois 51 into Cairo were also flooded Monday and those waters were even higher Wednesday.
One lane of Illinois 37 from Mounds was also covered in water.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operation to open the floodway at New Madrid-Birds Point began Monday night, with one last explosion left to detonate Wednesday.
The Ohio River at Cairo had dropped two feet since the levee was intentionally breached. It stood at 59.75 feet as of Wednesday afternoon.
Brown said water in some parts of the Cairo had begun to recede. There has been no word yet as to when evacuees will be allowed to return.
"We've just got to make sure everything's safe before anyone comes back in," Brown said.
CAT Tracks Editor's Note:
Bears repeating...
Many of the "horror stories" being bandied about to justify keeping Cairo residents who were tricked into leaving OUT are same old, same old situations.
From the story above:
Hunt down a Cairoite...ask her/him about the viaduct flooding.
If I had a "Benjamin" for every time I've driven through that water, I sure wouldn't be worried about my motel bill. Hell, I'd head for Florida!
Nobody has worried about fixing that "flood zone" for the past 50 years, why try to make a big deal out of it now?
City officials may be fooling outsiders with their excuses for not letting the taxpayers back in, but for locals...our only question is how long their noses will be before this is all over?
From the Southern Illinoisan...
Ohio River slowly dropping but floods remain
Posted: Thursday, May 5, 2011 11:45 am
METROPOLIS (AP) - Water levels have started to slowly drop in some southern Illinois towns along the Ohio River but the National Weather Service says high water is expected to remain for days or longer.
Metropolis Mayor Bill McDaniel said the river there crested early Thursday. But more than 700 people still can't get to their homes and won't be able to for at least a week. Local schools are also closed.
Upstream, Old Shawneetown remains mostly deserted while the village of Junction has been almost entirely evacuated. Saline County sheriff's Lt. Tracy Felty said power has been for the most part turned off in those communities because of high water.
And Cairo police Chief Gary Hankins said residents who evacuated Saturday are asking when they'll be allowed back. He doesn't know.
CAT Tracks Editor's Note:
That last paragraph in the article above...
I don't know Cairo police Chief Gary Hankins...will assume that he is doing an admirable job under trying circumstances.
But...
Gotta say, Gary...you need to find out. You are in the city, you are in a position to ask and get answers. You need to tell the residents of Cairo when or why not.
And enough of the lame "Cairo is not safe" shill. When was Cairo ever safe? That's why the other 12,000 people left over the years. The rest of us...we are survivors! We ain't scared of no ghosts...no rivers...no nuthin'. We ARE, however, law-abiding people and that's why we obeyed the former Mayor's order to leave...only to find out that those who defied the order were allowed to stay and have free roam of the city. Next time, city officials will reap what they have sown. Next time, we will all stay!
We, the People/Taxpayers have a right to know why we are being kept out of our homes against our will...forced to spend money that we do not have.
And...
Since we were tricked to leave and not allowed back in for unnamed, lame reasons, the City of Cairo will be responsible for any damage or looting to our homes.
It's on you folks...
CAT Tracks Bulletin...
According to the Army Corps of Engineers Facebook page, the 3rd and final breach was completed at 2:39 p.m.
From the Southeast Missourian...
Third blast opens up outflow at Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway
Thursday, May 5, 2011 ~ Updated 2:49 PM
Southeast Missourian
The third levee breach in the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway was opened at 2:39 p.m. today, creating a second hole in the frontline levee to allow water to flow back into the Mississippi River.
The blast, which was originally to happen Tuesday, was delayed several times due to the Army Corps of Engineers having a lack of explosives and other "logistical" challenges.
Just before the blast, the Ohio River's level at Cairo was 59.59, down from over 61 feet when the first levee breach happened Monday night. The river had fallen 0.21 feet in the 24 hours preceding noon Thursday.
The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau was at 42.93 feet at noon Thursday, down from its Monday crest of 46.28.
The levee breaches were created to lower river levels upstream, primarily measured on the Cairo gauge.
Look for more on this story later at www.semissourian.com and in Friday's Southeast Missourian.
CAT Tracks Editor's Note:
The Mayor of Cairo visited refugees in Marion tonight.
I was there and will write up a report for tomorrow.
Bottom Line:
There is no light at the end of the tunnel...no word on when residents can return.
Read the not-so-TGIF post for further details...
A viaduct near Cairo Junior/Senior High School had been completely flooded on Monday and traffic was rerouted from a dirt road behind the school to Washington Avenue.
