#1: As I watched your report on the flooding in Missouri it took me back to 1993 and losing our home to the floodwaters of the Mississippi. Our entire small town was flooded and misplaced. It happened -- it was a chance we took living there and something that takes years to recover from. I do not see how the Corps of Engineers justifies sacrificing one area of people's homes and land to save another area. We cannot and should not try to control the river. Now I also hear the areas that the floodwaters will consume have cemeteries in them. Not sure why a cemetery was ever started in a floodplain, but to intentionally destroy one is outrageous.
Marsha Taylor
Payson, Ill.
#2: I live in the Western Kentucky area, which is a neighbor to Cairo. My parents live in a flood-prone area and have known this since the day they built. It was a risk they knew about before they built their home. They do not qualify for flood insurance. Unlike the farmers, the USDA/government is not offering them a settlement -- regardless of their loss. Farmers do have a tough time, no one is arguing that fact. But they have known that their fields are in a flood area. I can't believe that they are taking this to a higher court. Ground? Lives? I don't understand the thought process of anyone who would rather save some dirt over human lives! Compensation is due to the farmers, but what compensation do these families have that have lost their homes? I am just heartbroken to hear they are going to take the Corps of Engineers to court...How selfish!
Penny Cummins
Paducan, Ky.
