Mississippi River

[Scoop Sea]

I got called over to Vicksburg, Ms. late last week to do an ER on an abaondoned facility that has a bunch of oil and hazardous substances stored on site. The State of Mississippi is concerned that the facility will flood and all of the oil/hazardous substances will be released, so they asked the Feds to come in and mitigate the hazards. Fortunately, I think we will have everything wrapped up before the flood waters totally impact the site.

Since getting here, I have been going down to an old dirt road nearby, that dead ends to a big agricultural field , and watching the progress of the river. Since last Thursday, it has covered that field (at least a half mile) and has come up over the road. Every day I have gone there, locals have approached me to discuss the river, etc. and every day, I ask them if they have packed up and moved their things. I have yet to see any of them move a thing out, however, I have watched some of them break out cane poles and fish the flooded areas. I have also had some of them say that they are disappointed that the government hasn't come in to help them yet. It totally amazes me that folks that were flooded out in 08 and 73 aren't making strong attempts to get their stuff removed ahead of the flood waters. The lack of forward proactive actions reminds me of folks not taking the warnings seriously during hurricanes, etc. (I'm guilty of that, as I have road out a few TS and minor hurricanes out on SGI and down in Wakulla). However, if I knew that my home flooded before and this is an "epic" flood like they have never seen, I'd be getting my stuff and moving to higher ground. I'm afraid "The Great Flood of 2011" (that's what they are calling it over here) is going to cost the taxpayers a boatload of money.

Hope ya'll had a good weekend fishing, I had the boat fueled up and ready to go, but things didn't work out the way I wanted. Oh well, that's just part of it.

[red_yakker]

I'm glad it's you and not me. Keep up the good work
You can't force people to use common sense
I'm assuming you're part of the Incident Command? That stuff can be rough on you.
Don't work too hard, and maybe try to find a moment to break out your cane pole.

[boggob]

Its a shame. I bet food prices are going to go up even more as a result of this and other crop failures elsewhere.

Its kind of funny to me with all of the rhetoric for keeping the government hands off of my (insert whatever: medicare, job, wallet, etc) but when the SHTF, look whose in line with their hands out. I was specifially thinking of Texas and Perry's successionist talk.

Another thing that I think is interesting is how typically "blue states" pay federal taxes that are usually spent in "red states" as studies have shown that "red states" always take more $ than they pay, despite the rhetoric.

[big bend gyrene]

Its kind of funny to me with all of the rhetoric for keeping the government hands off of my (insert whatever: medicare, job, wallet, etc) but when the SHTF, look whose in line with their hands out.

Boggob, what I find funny is that you don't mention who is at the top of the list and how grossly worse they are than any state... and no it isn't a red state... it's a blue territory spending six fold what it gives... it's the black hole known as D.C. that spends six federal dollars on it's citizens for every dollar the citizens give. It nearly triples the wost states where ratios are a much less horrific 2 to 1 spending. Worth noting there's actually quite a bit of parity after the first few offenders on the list with ratios falling between .8 and 1.5 dollar for dollar spending/giving for the majority of the rest of the states and another statistic worth looking at is that of the top 3, two are blue with New Mexico joining D.C. as one of the biggest offenders. Reminds me of the old saying that statistics can be used to sell many stories. You and I are both referencing the same data, but the data when shared in different ways can paint extremely different stories.

I encourage all to find the data and dig into it for their own enlightenment/judgement.

I also encourage folks to marry data with what common sense and their own first hand perceptions show them... for example, the Iowa flooding of 2008 was massive but I didn't see Iowa citizens looting nonstop, sitting on their tails screaming for handouts, and living in squalor for years blaming the government for what was a natural disaster. No, instead the massive flooding got a few days press and the Iowa citizens rolled up their sleeves and cleaned up the mess so that you didn't hear another peep about it. That sure didn't happen with Katrina now, did it?

By the way, another thing you don't hear the liberal press speaking to now is that the harsh weather we're experiencing this spring season is due to... wait for it... a statisically significant measurable cooling trend, and one not just in our country but relatively global. Guess that's too much of an "inconvenient truth" to share. For those with open eyes and ears, relatively well-known weather man Joe Bastardi was predicting the calamities we're seeing now about a month in advance of the events due to the distinctly cooler temperatures measured and similar highly stormy/tornadic weather experienced prior decades when similar cooling trends took place (I'm old enough to remember the cooling period in the 70s spawning particularly horrific tornadic outbreaks). Doubt I'm right, study the data yourself.



BBG

[Scoop Sea]

I'm glad it's you and not me. Keep up the good work
You can't force people to use common sense
I'm assuming you're part of the Incident Command? That stuff can be rough on you.
Don't work too hard, and maybe try to find a moment to break out your cane pole.

Hey Red Yakker: No sir, I am not part of the IC for the flood. I'm working on an emergency response confined to a particular area, although the urgency is due to the flood, it's an EPA lead and I am running this response. Our Agency hasn't set up a command structure yet. I suspect we will enter into a command structure in the near future. I hope to be in the field and not up at command. I'd much rather be in the field helping the local businesses, etc. We'll see how that works out.

[MudDucker]

Our guberment has trained these folks to not care for themselves. Instead, they wait on the guberment. What a bunch of idiots! There are two bunches of idiots here though ... one is those folks and the other is WE folks who allow our guberment to send this message of welfare nanny stateism!

The guberment needs to make an announcement that says: Hey Idiots, move out now. If you don't get your own behind out, we will not come get you. Instead, you will be removing yourself from the gene pool!

We need common sense in SO MANY areas in this country.

[Scoop Sea]

The guberment needs to make an announcement that says: Hey Idiots, move out now. If you don't get your own behind out, we will not come get you. Instead, you will be removing yourself from the gene pool!

Hey MD: I agree totally. Like him/hate him, either way, Jeb Bush did a good job of sending that message when he was Florida's Governor. He was very much to the point, get out cause we aren't coming to get you if you stay. That' was the type of message that worked.

Another down side to this event will be the higher prices for grains, etc that will undoubtedly come.

I am hoping that it won't be as bad as they are predicting. We'll just have to wait and see.

[MudDucker]

Yep, Jeb announced it and he meant it. Had a friend who used to be in the Fort Walton EM center. Last major hurricane, folks that didn't listen started calling. Their response was to move as high as you can, tie your butt to something and next time listen when told to leave.

There is a huge amount of ag land being hit by these floods, but it might not be enough to really affect prices. Quite often, after the waters fall, the land produces way more than before. Lets hope for everyone's sake!

[RalphKramden2011]

It is amazing how the news media seems to be focused on the closing of 19 casinos rather than anything else.

[Scoop Sea]

I heard em say that they will lose 12-13 million in tax revenues due to the casinos closing. I guess that's one reason they are focusing on that. I personally think they should give some attention to the farmers and what they are going to go through.

[Dubble Trubble]

Our guberment has trained these folks to not care for themselves. Instead, they wait on the guberment. What a bunch of idiots! There are two bunches of idiots here though ... one is those folks and the other is WE folks who allow our guberment to send this message of welfare nanny stateism!

The guberment needs to make an announcement that says: Hey Idiots, move out now. If you don't get your own behind out, we will not come get you. Instead, you will be removing yourself from the gene pool!

We need common sense in SO MANY areas in this country.

Amen there brother!

[RalphKramden2011]

Our guberment has trained these folks to not care for themselves. Instead, they wait on the guberment. What a bunch of idiots! There are two bunches of idiots here though ... one is those folks and the other is WE folks who allow our guberment to send this message of welfare nanny stateism!

The guberment needs to make an announcement that says: Hey Idiots, move out now. If you don't get your own behind out, we will not come get you. Instead, you will be removing yourself from the gene pool!

We need common sense in SO MANY areas in this country.

Amen there brother!

Common sense is rapidly becoming an oxymoron!

[red_yakker]

I was talking to some guys in Emergency Management who had worked all over the country responding to events ranging from the 911 attacks to Katrina. They described their favorite method for getting people to take an evacuation seriously.

When they get to a home where the people seem reluctant to leave, they take out a permanent marker, and ask the people for their SS# so that they can write it on their forearm to make identifying the bodies easier.

[DEMON]

I say the same thing to people who ask me to take them fishing!

[KYFRED]

My Inlaws lived in Vicksburg for several years and recently relocated back to Arkansas. Gotta say that I am pleased. the convergence of the Yazooo and Mississippi always floods the northern area of the town and people just move back in. I am amazed at the number of people that wait for water to react. If it flooded in 2008 at 27 feet, then I am pretty sure the 40 ft mark will do the same. While I hate to see people loose everything, I'd enjooy watching teh river rise and see what it can do. The river boats and part of downtown are gonna be hurting when this is done.