Need To Know - Rising Waters

Dear Friend,

Mississippi continues to face record flooding in counties bordering the Mississippi River. Last week, I met with local emergency officials in Adams and Wilkinson counties to review their disaster contingency plans.

The 2011 Mississippi River flood is an historic event. While the suffering of individuals through loss of property and livelihoods is alarming, an equally significant element of this story is the success of the MR&T (Mississippi Rivers and Tributaries) Project. Over 40 percent of the United States is drained by the Mississippi River and failure to attempt to control this powerful and often merciless river would have placed many more families at risk of flood and had significant negative impact on the economic development our nation has enjoyed.

Though the implementation of the MR&T is not without controversy, it is clear that the floodplains have had positive implications, such as the growth of crops and timber and development of local industry – particularly South Louisiana’s petrochemical industries. But the greatest gain that our state has seen from this water control project is the location of homes and businesses that otherwise would not populate this region.

If the success of this project holds and there are no levee failures, I think this will be an important success story for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

For more the latest news and information on the historic floods, visit the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) online.

God bless,

Gregg Harper

Member of Congress