Our state has been hit hard in recent weeks with flooding in Southeast Missouri, devastating tornadoes in Joplin and Sedalia, earthquakes and, of course, the flooding and threat of continued flooding right here in Northwest Missouri. It has been a trying time for the many families who have been displaced from their homes and for those who have lost loved ones to the ferocious weather. But through it all, the people of this great state have shown their resilience in the wake of tragedy and their compassion as so many have come together to provide support to those in need. In fact, we have seen so many Missourians offer their support to the survivors of the Joplin tornado that the recovery effort has been overwhelmed by volunteers and donations. It is a great reminder of the kind of people we have here in the Show-Me-State, thoughtful and compassionate folks who care about their neighbors and are willing to lend a hand when it’s needed.
That spirit of cooperation and willingness to make sacrifices of time, money, equipment and all types of resources can be illustrated no better than the efforts that are underway right here in Northwest Missouri to contain the Missouri river and minimize the damage from floodwaters that are inevitable. Community leaders have stepped up and the coordinated activities, planning, sandbagging and the removal of personal property from the endangered areas has been underway for weeks. I am proud of these resilient citizens and the positive attitude they exhibit in these times of extreme hardship but saddened by the fact that we seem to be powerless against the factors that put us in harms way far too often.
Along with the economic loss of thousands of acres of crops, many could suffer substantial losses of personal property, homes and businesses. Big Lake State Park could very well be under water for the second year in a row and small towns are threatened. I admire those who go back every year and clean up, rebuild and re-establish their homes and business but I fear that the ever increasing re-occurrence will take its toll and all of Northwest Missouri will be the loser. The futile attempts to change the regulations and priorities of the Corp of Engineers seems to have left us vulnerable to any unexpected variation in weather patterns, excessive rain or snow. The top priority of flood control has given way to recreation, power generation, water supply and even endangered species. The continued attempts to change this pattern by elected officials at the state and federal level has been uneffective.
I am proud to say, however, that the state of Missouri has been as responsive as possible and according to local government officials in Holt and Atchison counties, the state entities from the Governor down to the Water Patrol, Highway Patrol, SEMA, Red Cross and even the National Guard are doing everything they can to assist.
I recently learned that I will be a part of an Interim Committee on Disaster Recovery that will investigate and assess ways that our state can become even more responsive and I’m sure that we will try to find ways to be more financially supportive as well. We will be providing a report with recommendations to the General Assembly by December 31st.
If you have questions, you may reach me at my Capitol number 573-751-9465, at the local district number, 660-582-4014, by email at mike.thomson@house.mo.gov or by mail at Room 401B State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
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