Saturday, May 14, 2011

The Mighy Mississippi

America has an Achilles' heel. It lies on a quiet, unpopulated stretch of the Mississippi River in Louisiana, a few miles east of the tiny town of Simmesport. Rising up from the flat, wooded west flood plain of the Mississippi River tower four massive concrete and steel structures that would make a Pharaoh envious--the Army Corps' of Engineers greatest work, the billion-dollar Old River Control Structure. This marvel of modern civil engineering has, for fifty years, done what many thought impossible--impose man's will on the Mississippi River. The great river wants to carve a new path to the Gulf of Mexico; only the Old River Control Structure it at bay. Failure of the Old River Control Structure would be a severe blow to America's economy, interrupting a huge portion of our imports and exports that ship along the Mississippi River. Closure of the Mississippi to shipping would cost $295 million per day, said Gary LaGrange, executive director of the Port of New Orleans, during a news conference Thursday. The structure will receive its most severe test in its history in the coming two weeks, as the Mississippi River's greatest flood on record crests at a level never before seen.



St John's River
Mark Twain, who captained a Mississippi river boat for many years, wrote in his book Life on the Mississippi, "ten thousand river commissions, with the mines of the world at their back, cannot tame that lawless stream, cannot curb it or define it, cannot say to it "Go here," or Go there, and make it obey; cannot save a shore which it has sentenced; cannot bar its path with an obstruction which it will not tear down, dance over, and laugh at."

*****
Please keep those who have been impacted by hard choices made by Governmental authorities in your prayers.

13 comments:

  1. Such a powerless feeling. How much more can those living in that part of the country endure?

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  2. My thoughts and prayers to the people affected. Take care
    x

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  3. Yes. I have watched and read in sorrow what is happening and the impact on everyone involved. This is unprecedented and going to make horrendous life changes.

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  4. We're purring for everyone, I hear the worst is yet to come. Very sad.

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  5. We are so sorry to hear this and are purring our best purrs for everyone involved.
    Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx

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  6. We are thinking of all concerned and sending purrs. hank you for your concern and purrs for Chica.

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  7. It's so sad to watch this slow destruction.

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  8. WEll said Abby...our thoughts and prayers are with them too.
    What a spring of very very difficult and unpredictibale weather.
    Hugs madi

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  9. pee ess Mommy and I love what you wrote to precious Homer. We feel the same way too.

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  10. Thank you for such a thoughtful post. We are purring and praying for everyone involved.

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  11. We are purring for all of those affected by the mighty Mississippi.

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  12. So very scary! Many purrayers for everyone in the path of all that water!

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  13. It's so sad, what's happening there.

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