Larry Gude
Strung Out
Flooding in the American Midwest threatens crops - International Herald Tribune
Nightmare. Just horrible.
Nightmare. Just horrible.
Iowa agony...
- Thread starter Larry Gude
- Start date
kwillia
n/a
It is truly devistating for the entire country. Losing New Orleans to flooding was a mere blip compared to the crisis at hand and its long term affects on our country.
AndyMarquisLIVE
New Member
Great. 
Who wants to bet gas prices go up another 35 cents?
Who wants to bet gas prices go up another 35 cents?
Larry Gude
Strung Out
That...
...is soo besides the point. What the hell is $.35 versus the devastation these people are going through???
Your perspective needs some work.
Great.
Who wants to bet gas prices go up another 35 cents?
...is soo besides the point. What the hell is $.35 versus the devastation these people are going through???
Your perspective needs some work.
One thing I've noticed about the flooding in Iowa and other places recently - they're not standing around asking when the government is coming in to help feed, clothe & shelter them. And they're not in lines waiting for their free debit cards, either. Or complaining about how long it took for any humanitarian efforts to begin with agencies such as the Red Cross.
Stark contrast with what happened in New Orleans.
Stark contrast with what happened in New Orleans.
Great.
Who wants to bet gas prices go up another 35 cents?
Thank you for that, Mr. Ray of Sunshine!
At least you have a car to drive, a house to live in and aren't supporting a family of 4. You should be thanking your lucky stars it isn't happening to you and go do something positive like donate to the American Red Cross. A tank of gas worth of money would be a good start.
YW
I
Inkpen
Guest
This_person
Well-Known Member
Well said....
While on the face of it, yes it's sad, but it's also a fairly common event. The whole reason the Mississippi River area has such rich farm land is because it floods on a regular basis. To be a farmer anywhere, let alone in an area that floods regularly, is to be an optimist.
I'm not saying it's not horrible when it happens, especially when it happens to you, but it's not like these folks don't go through this fairly regularly. That's also why you don't see them standing in line waiting for help. 1. They know what they need to do to survive and recover, and they do it. 2. 90% of the time it floods it doesn't reach Federal status for help, so they are used to looking after themselves. 3. Rural Mid-westerners are generally very hard working, self-reliant folks; they don't want or expect handouts. Even better, their more than happy to help their neighbors who are in trouble.
I'm not saying it's not horrible when it happens, especially when it happens to you, but it's not like these folks don't go through this fairly regularly. That's also why you don't see them standing in line waiting for help. 1. They know what they need to do to survive and recover, and they do it. 2. 90% of the time it floods it doesn't reach Federal status for help, so they are used to looking after themselves. 3. Rural Mid-westerners are generally very hard working, self-reliant folks; they don't want or expect handouts. Even better, their more than happy to help their neighbors who are in trouble.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Have you...
...heard any of the reports or data on this? This is a 500 year flood. That is not 'fairly regularly'.
...heard any of the reports or data on this? This is a 500 year flood. That is not 'fairly regularly'.
Lugnut
I'm Rick James #####!
This is the single most important point when comparing the mid west flooding with the New Orleans flooding.
Yeah, and this "500" year flood occured 15 years ago... again, not unheard of for this area. I know, because I lived it.
BTW.. you know that it's not really a "500" year flood, right? All that means is that there is a .5% chance of that level of flooding happening in any one year.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Let...
...me do a little surfing around. This is the first I've heard that it was like this 15 years ago. And, while you math is correct, a buddy of mine is a hydrologist; the premise they work off of when planning storm drain systems is that it may well be 500 years before you see it; not every 15.
I'll be back.
...me do a little surfing around. This is the first I've heard that it was like this 15 years ago. And, while you math is correct, a buddy of mine is a hydrologist; the premise they work off of when planning storm drain systems is that it may well be 500 years before you see it; not every 15.
I'll be back.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Look for Great Midwest Flood of 1993. The whole mid-Mississippi area was flooded for months, including Cedar Rapids, Iowa City. Look for Keithsburg, a small community in Illinois... flooded out in 1993, levee broke again on Friday, same level of flooding. Look at Quincy, IL, same level of flooding/threat of levee break. It's all deja vu.
I understand where your hydrologist buddy is coming from, but it's a complete misnomer (and a great dis-service) to think of any XXX year flood as actual years in between those flooding events, it's purely statistics.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Nope...
...sounds like a shattered record is a good bit worse than 15 years ago...
ABC News: Iowa Flooding Shatters the Records
...sounds like a shattered record is a good bit worse than 15 years ago...
ABC News: Iowa Flooding Shatters the Records
Larry Gude
Strung Out
I wasn't simply referring to Cedar Rapids, but the entire mid-Mississipi River basin as a whole. The specifics of Cedar Rapids may be worse this year than it was in 1993, but my point is the whole area is used to this kind of weather.
Again, I'm not arguing engineering, I'm simplying trying to educate that a 500 year flood does not mean the same level of flooding wont happen again for 500 years... it's a BAD, unfortunate misnomer, that does no one any good. These large-scale floods happen on a fairly regular basis.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
To what...
...purpose? As a matter of statistical fact, if this level of flooding happens ever 15 years or so then that would go into the data that allows for the calculations that come up with what a 500 year flood is and the engineering and planning that works off of that data. It is impossible, statistically, for this to be 500 year flooding if it happens, or nearly so, every 15 years.
As far as that goes, a 500 year flood may not happen for 1,000 years. Or 750 Or it could happen in 250 years. But it can't happen every 15. Or it wouldn't qualify, or quantify, as a 500 year flood.
...purpose? As a matter of statistical fact, if this level of flooding happens ever 15 years or so then that would go into the data that allows for the calculations that come up with what a 500 year flood is and the engineering and planning that works off of that data. It is impossible, statistically, for this to be 500 year flooding if it happens, or nearly so, every 15 years.
As far as that goes, a 500 year flood may not happen for 1,000 years. Or 750 Or it could happen in 250 years. But it can't happen every 15. Or it wouldn't qualify, or quantify, as a 500 year flood.
AndyMarquisLIVE
New Member
I heard this was much worse than 1993.
...what else would you like engineering to be based on, feelings?