| |
PA7KK > FLOOD 07.03.04 18:27l 88 Lines 3171 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 2472_PI8DAZ
Read: GUEST
Subj: Flooding in the USA ?
Path: ON0AR<ON0AR<IK1ZNW<RZ6HXA<ER3KAZ<DB0RES<DB0EEO<PI8DAZ
Sent: 040307/1701Z @:PI8DAZ.#TWE.NLD.EU #:2472 [Hengelo] FBB $:2472_PI8DAZ
From: PA7KK@PI8DAZ.#TWE.NLD.EU
To : FLOOD@WW
Does flooding in the USA happens more today than
in the past ? Is it a topic in the nation, and dealt with, or
is it a non issue ? In Holland it is always an issue.
It would be interesting to know who eg is responsible for the
river dikes. The cities, states or counties ?
The Army Corps of Engineers is involved, that I know.
In Holland the department of water management is responsible
and the taxpayer pays all the new marine & river defence works
and maintenance of the old.
A river in Holland is controlled in this way:
|| // \\ ||
|| // \\ ||
|| // ^ \\ ||
|| graslands // river \\ graslands ||
|| // ^ \\ ||
|| // \\ ||
|| // \\ ||
winter dike summer dike \\ ||
|| // \\ ||
The winter dike, made of clay is the way we like it, and is around
4 to 5 meters high I guess.
On top of the dikes are roads, two cars can pass
eachother. Since 1953 we have no floodings anymore caused
by the sea which costed us a lot of money.
In Rotterdam the river Rhine can be shut off like the Thames
in London during high marine water levels that occur during
storms like in 1953 comin from "the wrong direction" and spring-tide
at the same time.
Today overhere it is forbidden to build in the graslands, the outer marches.
During winter and spring we often have high river water levels
caused by heavy rain fall and melting water from the Alps.
I figure the Missisippi causes a lot of trouble after long heavy rains ?
That sure is a wide river that needs space to flow.
Some years ago they improved the local winter dike here by making it
wider and also improving the "river side" of the dike like this:
/^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\^^\
/ \ \ <- add. layer of clay
/ \ \
/ \ \
/ \ \
===============================\ \ ===== old sand level
\ \
\ \----/
\_____/
^ extra deep clay to
prevent water going
underneath the dike
during high water levels.
I took some years to make it, so I expect higher taxes
from the department, hi. The new strategy is to declare some
areas (socalled polders) as buffer areas. If a dike break
is to be exepected an area will be deliberatly flooded,
to relieve the rivers from their water. The people who live
their are very angry about it....
But in Holland we say: "Necessity breaks laws"
73's - Henry PA7KK
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
