Understanding Flood Risk on the Mississippi: Memphis 2011 & Beyond - Essay Sample

Ranging from the past hundred to a hundred and fifty years, there has been an increase in the rate of floods along the Mississippi River that has caused major effects upon the areas and ports along the river. As so, there has been much effort made in studying and understanding the various flooding patterns of the river especially the upper part of Mississippi.

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Looking at the case of Memphis in 2011 where the second-largest flood occurred, there is a bigger risk of having more floods and worse in the future. The first of its kind occurred in 1993 which claimed lives as well as property. As the river breaks its banks into the nearby environment, there is the usual catastrophic state.

The patterns of the flooding depend mostly on the climate which therefore occurs at different levels. At the time when the ice melts profusely, there is always an anticipated rise in the amount of water in the river which when it exceeds its capability spreads out of its banks (Pinter, N., et al 2106).

Therefore there are higher amounts of floods with higher strengths in the warm seasons in summer. Also, the flood patterns of Mississippi occur in certain areas which are geographically situated to be vulnerable towards the floods.

In the upper part of Mississippi just like Other Rivers, there are more frequent floods experienced in comparison to the lower regions of the river. The patterns are however predictable but not occurring in a perfect pattern. As seen in some incidences, the flooding patterns in the middle year occur in an unanticipated manner which means that they go against the expectations. As a result, there are more tough consequences due to the unprepared nature of the people around them.

Several factors contribute to the occurrence of the floods at the banks of the longest river in America include those engineered by human activates. Due to the factors, the frequency in which the floods occur tends to be either increased or decreased depending on the consequences of the factors. Looking at the very important factor is the creation of water and travel channels along the river at various points which affect the discharge and flow of its cause.

In many such instances, water diversions have been created especially in areas frequently affected by floods such as New Orleans (Knox, J. C, 2006). However, in the case of an error during the creation of the expensive diversions, there is the possibility of increasing the frequency in which the floods occur in the area.

However, the success in creating the channels reduces the rate at which the floods occur in the region. Therefore river engineering is a very important reason behind the ever-shifting patterns of a river.

Another reason for the ever-changing flooding frequency of the river is the climatic change along its course. At the various points where the floods occur frequently, there are climatic factors like humidity and rainfall which affect the amount and frequency of the floods.

A case of New Orleans where dikes and diversions are being made to prevent the river from breaking its course into the city is also engineered by the high levels of humidity which therefore lead to the increased amount of the river discharge at the area. Low humidity on the other side reduces the occurrence of the floods.

References

Pinter, N., Ickes, B. S., Wlosinski, J. H., & Van der Ploeg, R. R. (2006). Trends in flood stages: Contrasting results from the Mississippi and Rhine River systems. Journal of Hydrology, 331(3-4), 554-566.

Knox, J. C. (2006). Floodplain sedimentation in the Upper Mississippi Valley: Natural versus human accelerated. Geomorphology, 79(3-4), 286-310.