Upper Midwest Flooding Goes From Bad To Worse

All across the the upper Midwestern United States, Americans have found themselves in harms way from 'Mother Nature' as the rains have continued to fall. While the skies are clear in most areas right now, heavy rains from earlier in the week are producing huge water runoff as rivers swell and leeves continue to break. The awesome power of water is something I have never been able to fully understand, but none the less I certainly respect it. As I have watched people being rescued from their cars and homes the past few days in Missouri, my mind went back to a different time in New Orleans.

One year ago, flooding was also a problem here in Central Texas as daylight till dark rainfall produced flooding and lakes that were filled to overflowing. I remember thinking to myself last spring about how powerful 'Mother Nature' really was and also how quickly an area could go from an extreme drought condition to an excess of water. Most certainly, the citizens of Missouri and other upper Midwestern states are having the same thoughts this morning as they too have an excess of water due to continues rainfall.

More than likely, most of this rain will eventually end up in the Mississippi River and make it's way south to the Gulf of Mexico. While it will take weeks and even months to finish this journey, the trip will eventually be completed and when it does some areas of the United States will flood even though they received none of the rainfall associated with this event. I was fortunate enough to be able to see the Mississippi River first hand a few years ago when my wife and I traveled on vacation to Memphis, Tennessee.

Our hotel was only a few miles away from the Mississippi River and for an old country boy like myself it was quite the sight to see. I remember looking out of the sixth floor window of our hotel room and watching huge river barges carrying tons of cargo upstream. Till that time, I had never personally seen a Mississippi River cargo ship and the visions I have of these vessels in my mind did not comes close to the size and scope when seeing them with my own two eyes. While there is nothing any of us can do to stop the power of 'Mother Nature' we can all help out our friends in need by visiting the Red Cross and giving money to help the people that have been hurt by this weeks flooding.