Meeting to address flood concerns

The Mississippi River continues to rise creating some concerns as boats ply the waters. The possibility of flooding has prompted Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson to call a summit Tuesday in New Madrid bringing together federal, state and local officials.
(Jill Bock, Staff)

The meeting is scheduled at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Community Center in New Madrid by U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson. Slated to attend are representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the State Emergency Management Agency, the Red Cross, area county commissions and emergency management directors.

"Jo Ann was worried we were going to have a severe flood event because of all the melting snow," said Jeffrey Connor, Emerson's chief of staff at her Washington, D.C., office, "but it appears we are going to dodge the bullet."

Flooding concerns were heightened by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planning a two-day release of water from the Dakotas into the Missouri River. Connor explained the Corps' spring rise policy is based on ecological concerns about providing enough water in the river for the pallid sturgeon to spawn.

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