Posted on Jun 28, 2023
Flooding across St. Louis to continue if flood risk, climate change isn't taken seriously
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On the morning of July 26, the sound of dripping was the only sign that Alexis and Andre Rogers’ home would soon be inundated with water.
Alexis Rogers, half asleep, thought someone had left a faucet on. When the dripping sound woke up her husband around 4 a.m., he thought it was a weird time for his wife to be taking a shower.
They didn’t know a series of thunderstorms stretching across northeast Missouri and southwest Illinois had begun to dump more than 9 inches of rain in a belt about 6 miles wide and 250 miles long. The Rogers’ home, just a backyard away from the River Des Peres in University City, sat directly in the danger zone.
Alexis Rogers, half asleep, thought someone had left a faucet on. When the dripping sound woke up her husband around 4 a.m., he thought it was a weird time for his wife to be taking a shower.
They didn’t know a series of thunderstorms stretching across northeast Missouri and southwest Illinois had begun to dump more than 9 inches of rain in a belt about 6 miles wide and 250 miles long. The Rogers’ home, just a backyard away from the River Des Peres in University City, sat directly in the danger zone.
Flooding across St. Louis to continue if flood risk, climate change isn't taken seriously
Posted from news.stlpublicradio.org
Flood
Water
Climate Change
St. Louis
Posted 11 mo ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."“We’re hopeful that a regional agency will emerge that will take responsibility for maintenance, erosion control or stormwater master planning throughout the region,” Rose, the city manager, says. “All of those things should be approached through a regional basis.”
In the short to medium term, Jonathan Remo, a professor of flood hazard assessment and mitigation at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, says current levee systems are still functioning to a large degree.
“What this does is give people a sense of security that they’re always protected,” Remo says. “But as we’ve seen with climate change, we’re getting more extreme events. The levees and floodwalls we built in the mid-20th century did not predict this.”
The people who have money will be able to maintain their levees, and the people who don’t will lose their protection.
“We should have a coordinated approach to flood risk mitigation, but it just hasn’t happened,” Remo says. “We’ve been saying the same thing for oh, you know, almost 25 years now. It just doesn’t happen because there’s never enough political will at the end of the day.”
In the end, the river will win, Remo adds — but what if we let it win on terms that are better for us?
No one’s calling for St. Louis to demolish its levees and floodwalls. “No, that’s unrealistic, and that’s not going to work,” Khan, the policy director for the Mississippi River Network, says.
Still, there are other ways. Along any river, there are opportunities to build levee setbacks or move levees further inland so floodwaters could have a place to flow when needed.
“There are so many benefits,” Khan says. “You’d have places for recreation, where people could hunt or fish. When floods happen, it won’t hurt people.”
Whatever happens, it would take cities, counties and states to come together to prepare for the region’s future.
Criss isn’t holding his breath.
“We’re too selfish,” he says."
..."“We’re hopeful that a regional agency will emerge that will take responsibility for maintenance, erosion control or stormwater master planning throughout the region,” Rose, the city manager, says. “All of those things should be approached through a regional basis.”
In the short to medium term, Jonathan Remo, a professor of flood hazard assessment and mitigation at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, says current levee systems are still functioning to a large degree.
“What this does is give people a sense of security that they’re always protected,” Remo says. “But as we’ve seen with climate change, we’re getting more extreme events. The levees and floodwalls we built in the mid-20th century did not predict this.”
The people who have money will be able to maintain their levees, and the people who don’t will lose their protection.
“We should have a coordinated approach to flood risk mitigation, but it just hasn’t happened,” Remo says. “We’ve been saying the same thing for oh, you know, almost 25 years now. It just doesn’t happen because there’s never enough political will at the end of the day.”
In the end, the river will win, Remo adds — but what if we let it win on terms that are better for us?
No one’s calling for St. Louis to demolish its levees and floodwalls. “No, that’s unrealistic, and that’s not going to work,” Khan, the policy director for the Mississippi River Network, says.
Still, there are other ways. Along any river, there are opportunities to build levee setbacks or move levees further inland so floodwaters could have a place to flow when needed.
“There are so many benefits,” Khan says. “You’d have places for recreation, where people could hunt or fish. When floods happen, it won’t hurt people.”
Whatever happens, it would take cities, counties and states to come together to prepare for the region’s future.
Criss isn’t holding his breath.
“We’re too selfish,” he says."
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It's more about city planning than climate change.
If you don't design drainage, and maintain that system you will have flooding. Pretty simple fact of life. If you buy a house on a flood plain, you pay more for insurance. These are just simple adult education items that all have a basis in common sense, but there is no such thing in liberal run cities. Everything is someone or something else's fault.
If you don't design drainage, and maintain that system you will have flooding. Pretty simple fact of life. If you buy a house on a flood plain, you pay more for insurance. These are just simple adult education items that all have a basis in common sense, but there is no such thing in liberal run cities. Everything is someone or something else's fault.
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SGT (Join to see)
Oh how little you know.
First off city planning is corrupted by developers and city councils that change zoning laws to benefit the few. Then you have examples like we have out here. Now all the water that hits the ground ends up in the river. Nothing like living between a mountain range and a river. One would think you don't build in an arroyo but they do. When zoning requests go in there are checkouts that certain departments must sign off on. I have yet to see anyone object to a development regardless to what damage downstream water run-off will cause. Every request is signed off on.
First off city planning is corrupted by developers and city councils that change zoning laws to benefit the few. Then you have examples like we have out here. Now all the water that hits the ground ends up in the river. Nothing like living between a mountain range and a river. One would think you don't build in an arroyo but they do. When zoning requests go in there are checkouts that certain departments must sign off on. I have yet to see anyone object to a development regardless to what damage downstream water run-off will cause. Every request is signed off on.
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PO3 Shayne Seibert
SGT (Join to see) - Actually, how little you know about me. I've put in those drain lines. I've hydrovaced those lines. I've seen St Louis in all its glory with its levy system.
City planners can approve or disapprove development based on recommendations from the army corps of engineers. Those plans and plat maps are looked at and signed and approved based on growth. If ANY of the politicians had any clue, St Louis wouldn't have built on the river they way they have. You can't evacuate water with out pumps and adequate drainage, no matter where that water is to be deposited. That's a fact. If you don't maintain those systems, you get the 9th ward after Katrina in New Orleans. Big damn swimming pool. I was there and saw the damage the day after Katrina had passed.
You live on a body of water long enough, preparations should have been made years ago for the forecast growth of a city. It didn't happen, and it isn't just climate change. It's piss poor leadership of a city that is well beyond its prime.
City planners can approve or disapprove development based on recommendations from the army corps of engineers. Those plans and plat maps are looked at and signed and approved based on growth. If ANY of the politicians had any clue, St Louis wouldn't have built on the river they way they have. You can't evacuate water with out pumps and adequate drainage, no matter where that water is to be deposited. That's a fact. If you don't maintain those systems, you get the 9th ward after Katrina in New Orleans. Big damn swimming pool. I was there and saw the damage the day after Katrina had passed.
You live on a body of water long enough, preparations should have been made years ago for the forecast growth of a city. It didn't happen, and it isn't just climate change. It's piss poor leadership of a city that is well beyond its prime.
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