When the Levee Breaks: Is the Culprit Rain--Or Overdevelopment? [News]
Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 20:42
in Earth & Climate
At least 19 levees in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri have failed over the past week after heavy rains, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers--and workers swarmed to shore up others with sandbags to prevent rising waters in the Mississippi and its tributaries from overflowing and washing away surrounding communities, farmland and soil. Engineers blame overdevelopment--and potentially poor maintenance of the levees--for the flooding. [More]