[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 44 (Thursday, April 18, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E584-E585]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   THE PAST AS A PROLOGUE TO THE FUTURE--75 YEARS AFTER THE FLOOD OF 
                                 1927--

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 2002

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, as we mark the 75th Anniversary of the 
Flood of 1927, the images that come to mind serve to remind us of how 
the flood affected Missouri and shaped the flood protection policies of 
today. Although the floodwaters of the past have receded, the lessons 
they have left behind are unmistakably clear.
  The first major levee break during the Flood of 1927 was at the 
Dorena levee and has significant meaning to those living in the 
surrounding area because it forever changed Missouri and the entire 
river delta. The Dorena break alone flooded 135,000 acres of land in 
the St. John Levee and Drainage District, left 7,500 people homeless 
and overtopped the Farrenburg levee near New Madrid, flooding an 
additional one million acres. Overall, the break will always be 
remembered as part of the greatest natural disaster in American 
history.
  When the Flood of 1927 finally subsided, the disaster had displaced 
700,000 people--80,000 more people than currently live in Missouri's 
Eighth District today. Geographically, the flood left 26,000 square 
miles under water (an area roughly two times the size of the country of 
Switzerland), crops were destroyed, cities paralyzed, farm land ruined 
and more than a thousand people were dead (276 from the flood and the 
remainder from the sickness and disease that followed). Today, a flood 
of that magnitude would shut down every interstate from St. Louis south 
to New Orleans--running east or west.
  Prior to the Flood of 1927, the river control system in place was 
based on a ``levees only'' policy, which many attribute as being 
partially responsible for the Flood of 1927. The policy meant that 
there were no outlets, reservoirs or spillways to assist in flood 
control. The lack of coordinated protection for water flow combined 
with the heavy rain and melting snow resulted in major flooding which 
broke the levees in more than 120 places. At a time when the federal 
budget barely exceeded $3 billion, the flood, directly and indirectly, 
caused an estimated $1 billion in property damage.
  As is the case with many disasters, the Flood of 1927 prompted 
lawmakers to take a long look at past policy. In an attempt to learn 
from the flood so that they wouldn't repeat the mistakes of the past, 
the Flood of 1927 led to the ``Flood Control Act of 1928.'' The plan, 
which gave the US Army Corps of Engineers the job of providing flood 
control on the Mississippi River, authorized the Jadwin Plan, or what 
came to be known as the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project (MR & 
T). This comprehensive flood control plan has four major elements--
levees, floodways and control structures, channel improvements and 
stabilization measures, and tributary basin improvements. These 
elements work together to provide flood protection and navigation while 
simultaneously promoting environmental stewardship and restoration.
  Since the establishment of MR & T in 1928, more than 87 percent of 
the project has been

[[Page E585]]

completed. This investment of nearly $11 billion has been used for 
planning, construction, operation and maintenance. That $11 billion has 
paid off--people live in safer communities protected from many of the 
hazards of flooding; commerce and economic development have enhanced 
river towns and steps have been taken to promote conservation of land 
while providing recreational use opportunities for communities along 
our nation's rivers. Perhaps most notable is that the MR & T project 
has prevented $258 billion in flood damages to date. It means that for 
every one dollar spent, we have saved $24 in flood-related damages.
  It is that type of investment in the future that we continue to make 
as the Army Corps of Engineers works with Congress during the budget 
process. As was the case during the Depression and previous wars, 
Congress is currently faced with certain financial realities. In light 
of those realities, I still believe this much-needed funding is 
critical to ensuring that flood protection, navigation, port authority 
and drainage projects are completed so that lives are saved and the 
economic livelihood of towns up and down the river are preserved.

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