After a great weekend at the Kentucky Derby, I began driving back to Dallas. Little did I know that I was headed right into a very devastating disaster. While driving through Tennessee, I came to a complete standstill on the highway and was eventually forced to get off the road completely. Even though it was raining at the time, I was unaware of how serious this rainfall was.
The Cumberland River began to recede while flooding the Nashville community. Roads and houses were completely flooded. As a result, residents of Tennessee were forced to move to shelters nearby. Many people were rescued through boats and canoes. Not only were houses destroyed but also seventeen individuals lost their lives due to this disaster.
I am shocked that people lost their homes and lives because of this rainfall. I am in awe that such an event like this couldn’t have been prevented. Isn’t there anything we as humans can do, when we know a big storm is coming, to avoid something like this happening?
Scientist have been talking about seeding clouds (http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-change/stories/can-we-stop-hurricanes) but it hasn't been very successful and I don't think they would use it on a rain storm.
ReplyDeleteThe real question comes into the right to control nature. Levees have been constructed in many states to control the flows of rivers. New Orleans for example would probably be a dry port if it weren't for the levee system. But the same levees that are protecting the city, are hurting the city as well. Rivers go through natural flood cycles to deposit sediment and build up land. Since we have prevented this, What is known as the "boot" in Louisiana has been growing, while the surrounding areas have been shrinking. The balance is delicate and you have to ask yourself is it worth the risk?