Tears at Birds Point Levee

As a lifelong farmer myself, I was horrifed when I first heard rumors that the Corps of Engineers was thinking about blowing Birds Point levee. After spending some time in the area meeting people at several events last year, I have come to love the bootheel, it's land, and it's people. A year ago this spring I drove from farm to farm there, meeting the people, and talking agriculture, and politics.

I wanted to see first hand what has happened at Birds Point Levee. I was invited by Al Marshall from Charleston, Missouri to spend a day with him and look at the area. What I saw was a shock to me. As I met the people and saw the damage and the tears, my heart went out to them. How could the Corps just blow the levee? Yes, they had a 74 year old agreement with landowners in the area when it was still mostly swamp, void of development and homes for the most part. How could they not take into account the changes that have taken place?

First we went to the North end of the levee where two miles had been blown out by the Army Corps of Engineers. The hole created by removing this section all at once caused a massive wall of water that swept the area 40 miles or so long. This area was filled with over a hundred homes, millions of dollars worth of equipment, millions in crops ready for harvest and many more millions in crops that would be harvested later this year God willing. The cost to rebuild this section of levee will be massive. Does the Corps have the money to rebuild?

We continued on, looking at the destroyed crops, roads, and fields. Especially shocking were the homes and farm buildings...totally devastated! Houses blown off foundations, shop buildings levelled and destroyed. Some outbuildings will be saved but many not. I don't think 95% of the homes will ever be rebuilt, the damage too massive, the future too uncertain.

The Land sustained massive erosion in many large areas. One area I called the Little Grand Canyon. Up to 20 ft deep, a quarter mile wide in places and I don't know how many miles long. There were several of these wash outs. How can it be rebuilt? The soil is gone. The cost? It will never be the same.

One stop was at the former small town of Pinhook, Missouri. The town of about 75 people was totally devastated. This small, mostly black town was started by a group of determined black farmers who forged farms and homes out of swamp and forest. This is one story that everyone should hear, how blowing Birds Point Levee destroyed this town. Every home is totalled.

I talked with 3 black men loading up their sisters car. Their sister was a single mom with two kids. Everything she had was destroyed. These were her brothers loading up her flooded car to sell for scrap for $500 because she had nothing. Where is CNBC? Where is Fox news? Where is the Obama tour?

These are stories I don't think Obama wants the world to hear. Why don't the camera's come and take pictures of the fields, and the destroyed homes and Pinhook? Why didn't we try to save all the levees and if they overtop and are taken out we did our best to save it. This way, the Corps of Engineers and President Obama are responsible. Yes, they have their wording in fine print from 74 years ago. Tell that to Pinhook. Tell that to the people that lost homes.

Reguardless about where you are in this debate, everyone I talked that day says this should never be allowed to happen again and I agree. I hope the contract can be changed with the Corps of Engineers so that they can't blow the levee ever again. If it overtops naturally that is one thing, but to blow it up? Another entirely.

I sincerely hope we can start to rebuild the lives and property at Birds Point not just with a temporary levee, but with one that will stand tall and strong to protect these wonderful Americans as long as the mighty Mississippi river still runs, and America still needs food to eat.