By McCleland/Hatton/Day
Cairo, Ky. – At 5 o'clock today, the Army Corps of Engineers is set to announce a final decision on whether to blast open a Mississippi River levee to protect Cairo, Illinois from rising floodwaters. River levels at the Illinois city have reached record highs. The Corps and the state of Illinois say the demolition is crucial to relieving river pressure on the floodwall protecting Cairo. Missouri officials have opposed the move, saying it could inundate 130,000 acres of farmland. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon toured the Birds Point levee, promising a quick return to agriculture production.
"This is a dramatic, one-in-a-two-or-three-lifetime occurrence in which the greatest time in history ever measured more water is here than has ever been here."
If the Corps decides to break the levee, the actual demolition at Birds Point is expected to begin within three hours of the announcement. The explosive slurry is being loaded into the levee at the present time. The work is dangerous, and is taking longer than usual because of the rain.