prytaniawaterline.com Blog

As the flooding in the Midwest continues to cause havoc and destruction, I can only think that the river is taking back what belongs to her. Living in New Orleans we are well aware of the battle of man against nature. Nature however is going to win the war in the end. Is there anything that humans can do to stem this tide, not really in the end New ORleans like Venice Italy will eventually be under water. WE do however continue to put off the inevitable, we have quite an investment both emotionally and financially to the property that the river and nature in general is trying to repossess. Have we chosen the right weapons to even put up a proper fight, our weapons being levees. Have the politics that are involved in our efforts to control the river played a part in the current situation. This battle is nothing new, I would hope that anyone who lives near the Mississippi River or who depends on levees to protect their lives and property read John Barry’s Rising Tide:The Great Mississippi Flod of 1927 and How It Changed America.

The flooding in the Midwestern part of the country is a real catastrophe for the people who are affected. The first response of many of us here is to repeat some of the horrible things that were said about us when we faced catastrophe. I can’t do that, I would like to think that those of us with first hand knowledge of such events can respond empathetically. We know that the flooding is only the beginning of what the victims of this event have yet to face. My heart goes out to each and every person who has been affected by this event.