America’s Latest Great Dilemma

The average number of killer tornadoes is around 20, so far this year America has seen 55. This has been blamed for 525 deaths nationally, compared to 50 on average.

On May 22nd there was an F-5 tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri. With 141 people dead in Joplin and billions in damage, Missouri is far from seeing the end of disaster.

Excessive rainfall in the past few months has swollen the Kansas, Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The current forecast suggests it’ll be mostly sunny for the next 10 day, but it can take months for river levels to go down. The preparation for flooding is being taken seriously. North of Kansas City, the people of Parkville are building a sand bag wall to protect the low-lying areas.

Dams in South Dakota have been forced to release large amounts of water downstream due to the heavy snow in the Rocky Mountains melting. It is expected there will be more water released as the snow melts and reservoirs are filled to capacity. Communities near St. Joseph, Missouri have begun evacuations as the flood waters are already too close.

Some forecasters are predicting that it could be worse than the Great Flood of 1993, which flooded many acres of farmland and parts of Jefferson City, Missouri’s Capitol. Approximately 100,000 homes were destroyed and 15 million acres of farmland were inundated in the Great Flood of 1993. The estimated cost for all affected states was 15-20 billion.

The outpouring of support from all over America has shown America’s heart in the face of tragedy. The tornado in Joplin has even garnered attention internationally. This proves that the heart of mankind can endure, as long as we have hope.

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