Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

November 22, 2008 9:33:34 AM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Levees Crumbling, Midwest Struggles to Stem Tide

Posted Jun 12, 08 8:45 AM CDT in US 

(Newser) – The worst flooding in 15 years has exposed some serious vulnerabilities in the Midwest's aging infrastructure, the Chicago Tribune reports. Levees, bridges, and dams, some a century old, are barely coping with severe storms—while some are collapsing completely. Dikes and levees broke in several states last week after torrential rains, destroying homes and flooding farmland.

Severe storms and flooding are now happening much more often than they did when much of the country's infrastructure was designed. There are fears that decades of underinvestment could soon mean catastrophe. "We as a nation have ignored our infrastructure for the past 50 years," a flood plain manager warned. "We haven't gone back to maintain the old roads and bridges. We just keep building new ones."

Source Chicago Tribune

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Floodwaters Engulf Iowa's 'Flood-Proof' City

    Jun 13, 08 7:05 AM CDT
    Floodwaters Engulf Iowa's 'Flood-Proof' City The Cedar River has burst its banks and deluged Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the Des Moines Register reports. About 9,000 people have been evacuated—including more than 170 from a hospital—and most of the city's downtown is under water. The river is still rising and is expected to crest today at 31.8 feet, about 12 feet higher than the previous record set in 1851. No injuries or deaths have been reported in the state. More »

  • Midwest Storms Threaten Worst Flooding in 15 Years

    Jun 11, 08 9:00 AM CDT
    Midwest Storms Threaten Worst Flooding in 15 Years As climbing rivers knocked out an Iowa bridge and flooded Illinois farms, communities along the Mississippi River are bracing for what could be its biggest overflow in 15 years, the AP reports. The National Weather Service warned of crests of 10 feet above flood stage and higher over the next 2 weeks. “I've been downtown for 37 years and I have never seen anything like this,” said one Cedar Falls, Iowa, resident. More »

  • Storms, Floods in Midwest and East Coast Kill 8

    Jun 9, 08 6:47 AM CDT
    Storms, Floods in Midwest and East Coast Kill 8 Storms across the Midwest and East Coast this weekend forced hundreds to evacuate, destroyed homes, and killed 8 people, the AP reports. More than 10 inches of rain in much of Indiana caused flooding; more floods in Iowa were some of the worst in years. Falling trees, high winds, and lightning killed several people while others drowned. A tornado in Omaha, Neb., damaged buildings, but no injuries were reported. More »

  • Midwest Flood Death Toll at 16

    Mar 21, 08 4:20 PM CDT
    Midwest Flood Death Toll at 16 Storms that caused flooding across the country's midsection have killed 16 people, and bad weather remains a threat, the AP reports. A snowstorm battering Minnesota and Illinois grounded hundreds of flights, and forecasters predicted a 9-inch total. Thousands were forced into shelters as rivers continued to swell; in many states, floodwaters might not crest until the weekend. More »

In this June 10, 2008 file photo, a farm is surrounded by floodwater from the White River as it overran its banks and levees near Elnora, Ind.   (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Nearly a half a mile of sand bags were placed along the Cedar River in preparation for the rising river near downtown Cedar Falls, Iowa, Tuesday, June 10, 2008.   (AP Photo/David K Purdy)
Mark Hastings turned 46, Tuesday June 10, 2008 , and spent his birthday sandbagging the levee on the north end of Elnora, Ind., were he lives.   (AP Photo/ Daniel R. Patmore)
Andy Shimek strengthens a sandbag levee by repositioning sandbags near the Cedar Falls Waste Treatment plant next to the Cedar River near downtown Cedar Falls, Iowa, Wednesday, June 11, 2008.   (AP Photo/David K Purdy)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

Iowa • flood • Illinois • flooding • Wisconsin • Indiana • severe weather • Midwest • bridge • levees • infrastructure


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »