Emerson responds to vice president's remarks on Birds Point

A day after Vice President Joe Biden seemingly praised the decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to breach Birds Point levee, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson criticized his remarks as "ignorant and uninformed."

Emerson, a Republican representing Southeast Missouri, opposed the corps' actions from the start, arguing that activating the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway would result in the destruction of 288 residential structures, 10 churches, a predominately black community and harm 130,000 acres of prime farmland.

But on Wednesday, Biden, a Democrat, told media representatives during a visit to St. Louis that the corps' plan worked.

"As bad as it is, and it is bad, it is evidence that the Corps of Engineers has come up with a method along the Mississippi to be able to mitigate some of the significant damage that otherwise would have occurred," Biden said. "It's a hard thing, and it's just evidence of the fact that there is a need for something larger."

Biden was in St. Louis touring destruction left by last month's storms when he made his comments. Biden pledged that those affected by the floodwaters in recent weeks -- and those still to come -- would not be forgotten.

When Emerson learned of Biden's comments, she said, she was outraged.

"I believe it was an ignorant comment in the literal meaning of the word," Emerson said. "His comments were ignorant and uninformed. It shows a total lack of understanding."

Emerson said she suspected that Biden did not know the specifics about what the corps' activation of the floodway earlier this month truly entailed.

"But I've always believed that you shouldn't say something if you don't know the details," Emerson said. "He's not an ignorant person, but his statement was ignorant."

The activation of the floodway, which the corps said was to lower flooding in communities in Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois, will also reduce Mississippi County's agricultural economy by $65 million. Emerson also pointed out that there has thus far been no public indication by Biden or the corps that the federal government will be there to help residents rebuild over the long term.

"I do not know what damage the vice president imagines was prevented by causing hundreds of millions of dollars of destruction in Southern Missouri, but I can tell you the crisis in our community is real, it is immediate, and a comprehensive response is urgently needed," she said.

Emerson called it "foolhardy" to praise the corps' method as sound when it led to the destruction of property and livelihood.

In a news release, Emerson's office also wrote "there is no evidence to suggest that any reduction in Mississippi River flood stages at Birds Point last week will lead to a reduction in damage as the crest moves downstream."

The levee breach did reduce river levels upstream. Before the breach May 2, the Ohio River at Cairo peaked at 61.72 feet, a record. The river was at 56.49 feet at 4 p.m. Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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