Internet Investigation: Flood Controls on the Mississippi

1. Describe how each structure or activity illustrated in the images may reduce the impact of floods.
All of the structures have a method of slowing down and diverting flood water.

2. Briefly summarize how floods cause property damage.
Floods cause property damage by the vast volume and impact of the water break things, pick them up carrying it with the water, and knocking things over. This property damage costs a lot of money to repair.

3. Identify the events surrounding the Great Flood of 1927. Use the images and note some of the effects of the flood. Were attempts at flood control effective during this event?
Some of the effects of the flood were a rise in the water level, damaged levees, flooded farmland, and damaged property. Some attempts at flood control were effective during this event, different flood control methods slowed down the water pressure and diverted water, making parts of the flood less devastating.

4. How was the flood control system constructed under the Flood Control Act of 1928 different from earlier attempts at flood control?
It was government run, so it had more resources and funding. It also went all over the entire river, not just a section of it.

5. Examine the images and summarize the results of the 1937 flood of the Mississippi River. Were attempts at flood control effective in taming the 1937 flood?
There was farmland, housing, highway, streets, and other property destroyed or damaged. The attempts at flood control were relatively unsuccessful because the damages were devastating.

6. Describe some of the damage done by the flood of 1993. What contributed to such a disastrous flooding event?
Unusual weather patterns, causing high moisture levels, causing much of the rain to drain directly into the river contributed to the disastrous flooding. Some of the damage included destroyed homes and displaced families, flood-related deaths, damaged property, damaged crops, and damaged farmland.

7. Examine the three satellite images. Describe the major differences in the landscape before, during, and after flooding.
Before: Lots of vegetation, and the water was confined to the rivers.
During:Water spread out everywhere.
After: Very little vegetation, lots of water and soil everywhere.