1973 Floodstage Mississipi River, “Never Happen?” by Erwin A. Thompson

In 1937 they closed the Alton Lock and Dam. This dam had been loudly touted as the last thing needed for flood control. I remember asking: “What are you going to do with the extra water coming down stream? Pump it out over the top?” “No, it will never happen,” was the answer. In 1973…

Floodstage! How our Old Gate Road became a life line to higher ground…by Erwin A. Thompson

EVERGREEN HEIGHTS LAYOUT: The Hilltop & Bottom Lands…and the Field Roads HILLTOP A lesson in the topography of our property would be helpful in understanding how these changes in river levels affected us and the community. The Riehl farm at that time consisted of a hundred and fifty four acres. The original farm house (the…

1993 Floodstage…500 year flood damage on a human scale, by Erwin A. Thompson

Riehlife’s FLOODSTAGE SERIES continues with Erwin A. Thompson’s explanation of sandbagging, pumps and dumps, and fixing up houses after the water goes down. –JGR ________________________________________ In 1993 we had what they called the “five hundred year flood.” SANDBAGGING We tried sand bagging, there in the East Bottom, and it worked for awhile. But there are…