2019 Spring Floods

[mountainmoma]

Some of our kids are in KC. The MO side. We've bought and supplied them with drinking straws for their GHB's.

you mean like a life straw ?  A filter

[Stwood]

Yes ma'am.
We haven't convinced em to store water yet. Which, a 24 bottle pack of water on sale can be had for 2 bucks. So I may just buy a couple and make them haul them home.

[Alan Georges]

you mean like a life straw ?  A filter

This is a very good idea, MM & ST, life straws are great.  Some other good options that I've given to relatives are Sawyer squeeze and mini filters, $30 & $20 respectively at any Wal-Mart.  Also freebie Berkey bottles are the MSB "discount" for orders over $100, if I remember correctly.

[iam4liberty]

Water filtration is a primary prep for sure.  Here's something we normally dont think about.  Wells are vulnerable to contamination. After a flood they should be tested.  So test kits are a good idea if you rely on well water.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/03/27/health/flooding-threatens-one-million-wells/index.html
Midwest flooding threatens the water safety in 1 million wells

Record flooding in the Midwest is now threatening the safety of more than a million private water wells. The National Ground Water Association estimates that people living in more than 300 counties across 10 states have their groundwater threatened from bacterial and industrial contamination carried by flood waters.

The 10 states include: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

"The most immediate concern is that the flood waters are contaminated with anything they have picked up and moving across the ground," said Chuck Job, NGWA's regulatory affairs manager.

[iam4liberty]

CAC just tweeted out this reminder:

[Stwood]

Kansas City, MO drinking water compromised.  Shows value of filters in preps.

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1R40ND
Flooding impairs drinking water treatment for Kansas City, Missouri

Record flooding along the Missouri River has impaired treatment of drinking supplies in Kansas City, raising health risks for infants, the elderly and other people with compromised immune systems, the municipal water service warned on Saturday.

The public health advisory came as utility crews struggled to replace broken pumps at a wastewater treatment plant submerged by floodwaters about 30 miles upstream in Leavenworth, Kansas, a town of 35,000 on the river's west bank.

Spoke with the kid'os this weekend about water. They are well east of that contamination area and do not receive their water from the river, just the city wells.
Anyhow, I think I've convinced them to at least store some bottled water.
$50.00 will get you a ton of packaged, bottled water.

[mountainmoma]

This is a very good idea, MM & ST, life straws are great.  Some other good options that I've given to relatives are Sawyer squeeze and mini filters, $30 & $20 respectively at any Wal-Mart.  Also freebie Berkey bottles are the MSB "discount" for orders over $100, if I remember correctly.

I gave everyone a life straw in their "stockings" a few years ago at Christmas ( they are all young adults).  But, they do not take such very seriously, so I hope they remember where they are..... The one for my youngest is likely in the ( car ) "get home" bag.  If the pack is still there.  The first get home pack when that one was a new driver was stolen out of the vehicle the first year, so then I replaced it.  This is a good reminder to check and make sure the get home bag still exists.  I once saw that pack emptied as the outer pack was somehow just the right size to be used for some trip, and just last month this car was wrecked, I am sure it was emptied before being sold off -- but does raise the reasonable question to this student -- where are the "get home" supplies !

[Stwood]

Yes, I gotta stay on mine!!!
Seems our grandkids take us more seriously than our kids do.  Our grands have GHB's

[iam4liberty]

Flood impact starting to hit Wall Street numbers.  Difficult to deliver products when your customers are under water.  The impact is far ranging.  May be good idea to stock up on grain before prices go up.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/03/29/dowdupont-cuts-its-sales-forecast-as-midwest-floods-hit-its-agri-division.html
DowDupont cuts its sales forecast as Midwest floods hit its agri division

Record floods have devastated a wide swath of the Farm Belt across Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and several other states, idling ethanol plants, slowing rail shipments of agricultural products and swamping storage bins holding grain from previous harvests.

The company said the floods have limited its ability to deliver products to customers, while delaying pre-season applications.

[Stwood]

Get your wheat berries bought NOW
$25.00 at an amish store will get you a 50# bag of Non GMO wheat.

[mountainmoma]

Get your wheat berries bought NOW
$25.00 at an amish store will get you a 50# bag of Non GMO wheat.

I was thinking EXACTLY this.   I have plenty of people grade wheat berries, but I feed my chickens soaked grains.  I am ordering much chicken wheat on this months order, wondering if I have room for a years supply of chicken food, while also getting some extra goat grains....

Whish we had an Amish store around here, but we dont. 

But, most of us CAN get to a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints home storage center to buy, current price is   $10 for a 25b bag  --  price list is here  https://providentliving.lds.org/bc/providentliving/content/english/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-order-form/pdf/HomeStorageCenterOrderForm-US-short.pdf?lang=eng

locations and hours listed here https://providentliving.lds.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations?lang=eng

For my consumption, I usually buy organic ( but if you cant afford it, get the LDS wheat listed above ! )  Organic wheat berries from Azure standard is running .61/lb , so 20% more than STwood shows for Amish wheat.  I would expect the prices to rise this year, so organic hard red wheat berries from Azure standard $30.53 for a 50lb bag  https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/food/grains/wheat/hard-red-wheat-berries/wheat-hard-red-organic/11656?package=GR063

[Stwood]

Yes, I would stock up on chicken feed also. I think we will for sure.

2 years? ago kansas has a late 2" snow that set the crop back 20%. Almost over night, Augason's long term red and white wheat, jumped from $17 to $40 for their 28# long term packaged bucket.

Now since Nebraska is mostly corn, those who feed corn should probably stock up on corn also. I would imagine corn will be up soo, as grain bins are sitting in flooded fields.
Kansas, south of Nebraska, has wheat fields under water, which is killing the wheat crop.

[iam4liberty]

And since Indiana and Illinois is battling moderate flooding, they will be well behind on planting and it will most likely be a late harvest.  Not to mention that we are near to a trade agreement with China which will significantly increase demand. 

[Stwood]

Yes. It's about time for them to be kicking up some dirt, readying the ground work for planting. Soon as the ground temp comes up to about 55, they will be getting figitty.

[mountainmoma]

yep, soy and corn will go up too.   Might be good to add some, 5-10lbs, polenta to the list, that is helpful in the summer heat.  Hard to buy tofu ahead.  If you buy any standard animal feeds, and most of that is corn/soy  --- stock up.

Would be a realy good idea to make sure I give garden space to some flour corn, I like it better anyways and need to grow out the seed.  Store bought meats/dairy will have their feed costs go up, but as most of our consumer price is retailers/farm labor/farm equipment/land etc.... I dont realy think corn/soy will raise our meat dairy prices much,  more like that need will exacerbate the raising of prices for the soy/corn/wheat we buy direct

[iam4liberty]

Southern Missouri flooding continues.

https://www.kmov.com/news/more-rain-causes-new-flood-worries-along-the-mississippi/article_1c0c340e-54ba-11e9-afc2-876677d58849.html

More rain causes new flood worries along the Mississippi

ST. LOUIS (AP and KMOV.com) — A wall of rocks and sandbags on Monday protected scenic Clarksville, Missouri, from the surging Mississippi River as spring flooding swamped fields, threatened homes and temporarily shut down a bridge connecting Missouri and Illinois.

Heavy rain over much of the Midwest on Saturday caused another spike in water levels along the river and its tributaries, especially in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois.

So far, Mississippi River flood damage is far less severe than March flooding along the Missouri River in Nebraska, southwest Iowa and northwest Missouri, where hundreds of homes were damaged. Still, several Mississippi River communities were battling to stay dry.



Flooding in Downtown St. Louis in early April, 2019. (KMOV)

[Stwood]

not good. We're very wet here in MID MO

[iam4liberty]

With water streaming up against a sandbag wall in downtown Clarksville, visitors can readily do what the welcome sign says -- "Touch the Mississippi." [Brent Engel/GateHouse Missouri]

If it gets too bad at least they have their own bugout song: https://youtu.be/ZcXpKiY2MXE

[iam4liberty]

http://www.kfvs12.com/2019/04/01/idot-close-cora-floodgate-rt/
IDOT closes Cora Floodgate on Rt. 3, farmers frustrated
Southern Illinois detour due to high water

JACKSON COUNTY, IL (KFVS) - Due to high water from Mississippi River flooding, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) closed Illinois Route 3 at the Jackson-Randolph County line.

IDOT is closed Rt. 3 between IL 151 and Chester at the Cora Floodgate/Levee at 10 a.m. Monday, April 1.

This section of Rt. 3 will be closed until flood waters recede from the area.

Farmer Todd Dunn is frustrated.“We are not going to fight Mother Nature, she’s a powerful source," said Dunn.

However, Dunn is grateful the floodgate and its protection from the rising waters. “I’m very appreciative because that is my home, and nobody wants to lose their home - what we’d seen in ’93 and other years,” he said.

Volunteer Tom Shields, also a farmer, has been dealing with it for years.

“This has been here probably 50 years, it’s one of those deals that’s probably outdated, but it works and it’s paid for and as long as we got the help to put it in, it’s not that bad of deal.” Shields said he hopes the floodgate holds and keeps us safe.

Imagine being that guy who has to monitor it.  Best King of the Hill episode: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6txepu

[iam4liberty]

Be careful!  Water level and current speed are easy to underestimate.

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/midwest-flooding-turns-deadly-mississippi-river-levels-rising-today-2019-05-03/

Flooding leaves 4 dead across Midwest as waters rise to historic levels

The latest round of flooding in the Midwest has claimed at least four lives, closed hundreds of roads and forced residents of threatened towns to shore up threatened levees with sandbags. In some communities, waters are rising to historic levels.

The National Weather Service issued flood warnings Friday along a large swath of the Mississippi River, as well as flash flood watches for parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas after recent rounds of heavy rain.

"Do not drive or walk through areas where water covers roadway!" the service warned. "The water may be deeper than it appears. Remember... Turn around, don't drown!"

[Stwood]

Our low water bridge has been out twice in recent weeks.

[iam4liberty]

Reminder, we arent out of the deep end yet.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/05/27/us/severe-weather-flood-watch-wxc/index.html
Historic flooding expected as 3.6 million under flash flood watch

The threat of record flooding has areas of the central United States on alert after more than a week of extreme weather that has brought with it tornadoes, fierce winds and heavy rains.

Spring storms have resulted in five deaths in Missouri, one in Iowa and six in Oklahoma. In Indiana, a 4-year-old boy is missing after strong currents from heavy rains swept him away.

[Stwood]

It's been a mess all around us

[iam4liberty]

If you are in evacuation area around the Arkansas river, bug out now.  The river is expected to crest at unprecedented levels so historic expectations should not be trusted.

https://katv.com/news/local/expect-record-crests-along-arkansas-river

Expect record crests along Arkansas River

[Stwood]

Just got a text alert that Truman Dam is within 1' of cresting.
They've been dumping water the last 2-3 days in anticipation of more rain.
I think (Corp) they've waited a little too late.
And, all that dumping ends up in Bagnell Dam, which was built in the 50's, and could use some work. If water flows over Bagnell (has a highway on top) it could get serious. Bagnell can't release massive amounts just cause. It will flood the towns below the flow.

[iam4liberty]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/05/28/mississippi-river-flooding-longest-lasting-since-great-flood-1927/1261049001/
Mississippi River flood is longest-lasting in over 90 years, since 'Great Flood' of 1927
In Vicksburg, Mississippi, this is the longest continuous stretch above flood stage since 1927.

The Mississippi River at the Quad Cities saw its longest stretch above major flood stage ever recorded.

Flooding in at least 8 states along portions of the Mississippi River – due to relentless, record-breaking spring rainfall – is the longest-lasting since the "Great Flood" of 1927, the National Weather Service said.

[iam4liberty]

Excellent video by NBC showing extent of flooding there.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1011156
Dangerous floods leave Plains, Midwest 'at the mercy of Mother Nature'
"This is a very catastrophic, not-yet-over scenario that we're dealing with," a lawmaker says as historic floods threaten to worsen.

"We're still at the mercy of Mother Nature, waiting for the water to stop rising," Pat Crofts, the company's chief executive, said Tuesday.

The Army Corps of Engineers has been releasing 275,000 cubic feet of water per second from the Keystone Dam, which protects Tulsans from the waters of Keystone Lake and the Arkansas and Cimarron rivers upstream.

Authorities warned Tuesday that the release could raise standing floodwaters by more than a foot in Tulsa and the communities of Sand Springs and Bixby.

[iam4liberty]

So just got off phone with a geophysics friend of mine.  He says it is all hands on deck for the hydrologists.  They think that the amount of water headed to the Mississippi could potentially change its course in some places. Dont hear that very often!

Very close with storm coming.

https://m.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/ongoing-flooding-may-threaten-mississippi-rivers-old-river-control-structure/70008430

How catastrophic flooding could change the course of the Mississippi River

Floodwaters rushing toward the rising Mississippi River forced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make the decision to open the rarely used Morganza Spillway on Thursday, June 6, to divert part of the river's flow into the Atchafalaya Basin.

About 24,000 acres are expected to flood as the water is funneled from the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya River, according to USA TODAY. Residents and landowners in the path of the expected floods were alerted about the possibility last week.
...
The system is designed to prevent the Mississippi River from permanently altering course down the Atchafalaya River, bypassing Baton Rouge and New Orleans, but current flooding could put a strain on the system and in a worst-case scenario make it fail, causing the Mississippi River to change course down the Atchafalaya River.

"If the Mississippi River changes its course during a major flood, it would be a disaster for shipping and economic impacts in New Orleans and the lower end of the waterway," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
...
Gov. John Bel Edwards has requested a federal emergency declaration as the Mississippi River and other waterways continue to swell. However, Sosnowski doesn't think these floods will be too much to handle for the structures unless heavy rain from a tropical disturbance were to become involved over the next few weeks.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/07/12/us/tropical-flooding-friday-wxc-trnd/index.html

Barry is a triple threat of storm surge, high rivers and flooding as it gets closer to the Louisiana coast

Barry is moving through the Gulf of Mexico and is the first tropical storm to threaten the United States this year. While there is a chance it could reach hurricane level, the real threat the storm poses is rain -- which could quickly turn into unprecedented flooding.

[iam4liberty]

https://www.nola.com/news/business/article_953dc0b6-a3ef-11e9-95d2-27965783f0ef.amp.html
Coast Guard shutting Mississippi to all vessel traffic; Ports remain closed ahead of storm

The Coast Guard said Friday that would close the Mississippi River to all vessel traffic upriver as far as Angola, Louisiana, shutting down commerce on the waterway as Tropical Storm Barry is set to make landfall.

The shutdown adds to the precautions underway for shipping and other transportation in the region, where high river levels are adding to the other hazardous conditions expected from the storm. Barry is forecast to strengthen as it makes landfall along the Louisiana coast Saturday.

The Associated Branch Pilots, whose members pilot ships on the Mississippi River south of New Orleans, stopped moving vessels inbound and outbound to the mouth of the river on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Port of New Orleans ceased cargo-loading operations at its Napoleon Avenue container terminal in anticipation of the flood gates being closed by the Flood Protection Authority, which would prevent ships from docking.

[LvsChant]

Wow... that sounds bad. I have many friends in that region...