Mississippi Flooding harms Agriculture in Several US States

Introduction

This essay will discuss about a topic in the VOA News.com: Mississippi Flooding harms Agriculture in Several US States. The story by Greg Flakus details how flooding along river Mississippi in the southern parts of the U.S. has ruined agriculture and caused great damage to farms as well as delaying barge traffic in some southern parts of the U.S.

The Mississippi river grows bigger into the southern parts of the U.S. and when it rains n the north, the river often floods causing havoc to the southern states. The article discusses the recent flooding of may, 2011 when the river burst its seams to only result in destroying farms. Farmers lost not only their livestock but also their crops and farms were destroyed. Ships could also not dock in most parts of the river disrupting port operations.

The Mississippi river is the largest river system in the U.S. The river flows almost entirely in the U.S., it rises in Minnesota and flows to the southern parts. In its lower section, the river is subject to disastrous flooding. The lower river has a narrow but deep channel and is navigable for oceangoing ships upstream. Although efforts to contain the river have been set up, the river rises and to cause floods in the lower states like Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky. The government built levees and dredged waterways that release excess waters to the Gulf of Mexico.

Flooding of the Mississippi river and destruction of property has been a common phenomenon since the early days.  For those of us who live in the southern parts of the U.S., we are used to the flooding and assistance from the federal government during such times.  Of course the river has greatly assisted us economically especially in agricultural activities and transportation. What the government needs to do is devise means and ways of containing the flooding such that farmers’ crops and livelihood is not affected during such times of flooding. I believe the government has the capacity to help the affected farmers and sailors.