BOND SURVEYS MISSOURI FLOOD DAMAGE
| Print This: |
|
May 11, 2007
JEFFERSON CITY – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today surveyed the flood-ravaged areas in Cole and Chariton counties after sitting down with State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Corps of Engineer officials to review recovery efforts.
“Once again Missourians have been reminded of nature’s tremendous devastating power. Homeowners, business owners and farmers will need help rebuilding their lives and livelihoods,” said Bond. “Fortunately, the Fish and Wildlife Service’s ill-conceived Spring Rise had not been triggered or we would have had another 500-year flood.”
Bond told landowners in the effected counties that he and his staff have been in constant contact with the Governor’s office, Army Corps of Engineers, SEMA and the federal Missouri delegation on recovery efforts. He stressed that he will continue to monitor the extent of the damage as the weekend progresses and the waters begin to recede.
While reports that no federal corps levees have breached at this time is good news, Bond said overtopping and breached non-federal levees have devastated some of Missouri’s most productive row crop ground. In some areas crests are even approaching 1993 flood levels.
Unfortunately, for those families and farmers in northwest Missouri, this most recent flood is already a disaster. Bond pointed out that levees have been breached on Missouri and Tarkio rivers; the entire town at Big Lake is under water; business were evacuated in Parkville, Riverside, and Tracy in Platte County; there is flooding from the Grand and Thompson rivers in Chillicothe; and farm and crop losses in Carroll County – and these are just a few of the communities that have been severely impacted.
Bond assured Missourians that he will work to ensure that federal agencies provide all available help to the communities affected by the floods. Earlier today, Bond and the entire Missouri Congressional Delegation asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to expedite the Governor’s request for preliminary damage assessments in the affected counties, which will speed federal assistance. Also, Bond said he will use his position as a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee to secure funding for critical Missouri flood protection projects.
“Major floods occur far more frequently than every 500 years. Federal investment in rebuilding and maintaining the infrastructure is long overdue. How many times must we learn such a difficult lesson?” said Bond.
“Once again Missourians have been reminded of nature’s tremendous devastating power. Homeowners, business owners and farmers will need help rebuilding their lives and livelihoods,” said Bond. “Fortunately, the Fish and Wildlife Service’s ill-conceived Spring Rise had not been triggered or we would have had another 500-year flood.”
Bond told landowners in the effected counties that he and his staff have been in constant contact with the Governor’s office, Army Corps of Engineers, SEMA and the federal Missouri delegation on recovery efforts. He stressed that he will continue to monitor the extent of the damage as the weekend progresses and the waters begin to recede.
While reports that no federal corps levees have breached at this time is good news, Bond said overtopping and breached non-federal levees have devastated some of Missouri’s most productive row crop ground. In some areas crests are even approaching 1993 flood levels.
Unfortunately, for those families and farmers in northwest Missouri, this most recent flood is already a disaster. Bond pointed out that levees have been breached on Missouri and Tarkio rivers; the entire town at Big Lake is under water; business were evacuated in Parkville, Riverside, and Tracy in Platte County; there is flooding from the Grand and Thompson rivers in Chillicothe; and farm and crop losses in Carroll County – and these are just a few of the communities that have been severely impacted.
Bond assured Missourians that he will work to ensure that federal agencies provide all available help to the communities affected by the floods. Earlier today, Bond and the entire Missouri Congressional Delegation asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to expedite the Governor’s request for preliminary damage assessments in the affected counties, which will speed federal assistance. Also, Bond said he will use his position as a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee to secure funding for critical Missouri flood protection projects.
“Major floods occur far more frequently than every 500 years. Federal investment in rebuilding and maintaining the infrastructure is long overdue. How many times must we learn such a difficult lesson?” said Bond.