Report Exposes Impact of Persistent Flooding Along Mississippi River

Report Exposes Impact , of Persistent Flooding , Along Mississippi River.

'The Independent' reports that persistent flooding along the Mississippi River has pushed people out of their homes at a 30% higher rate than the United States as a whole.

The Associated Press released data from First Street, a risk analysis firm, showing the impact of flooding on hard-hit communities.

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Dean Klinkenberg, who writes guidebooks and histories of local Mississippi communities, warns flooding has slowly chipped away at river culture.

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In 1970, West Alton, Missouri, had a population of nearly 4,000 people.

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Following major floods in 1973, 1993 and 2019, the town now has less than 400 people living there.

All three of the town's churches are now gone.

The remaining homes have had to be elevated to try and protect them from future floods.

According to the data, people tend to move to a safer place nearby, however, others choose to leave communities all together.

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The data showed that older residents are more likely to remain, while in some communities, even this figure was constrained by high flood risk.

Some riverside towns have benefited from the Clean Water Act of 1972, which improved rivers and streams. Since then, parks were established on cleaned-up industrial areas, bringing in more tourists and attracting business.