Causes And Effects Of Flooding

Railway buildup causes concern

HOLT COUNTY, Mo. ­— The Village of Big Lake has filed an injunction in Holt County Circuit Court against BNSF Railway and the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission.

The action is a result of BNSF raising the railroad that runs on the south side of town, which results in an impediment for water to leave the village, officials say.

It is the village’s belief that the raised railroad creates a “bathtub effect” because it traps water for extended periods of time, Big Lake attorney Creath Thorne said. Also, Big Lake is alleging that BNSF did not follow a city ordinance that says anyone who constructs in Big Lake is supposed to conduct a hydraulic study, showing the effects of the construction on flood control.

On Thursday, numerous railway employees were working to place gravel and rocks on the side of the railway. BNSF did not block the pipes underneath the railway.

“It’s not just the side of the railway,” Mr. Thorne said. “They’ve got this incredible machine that can actually lift up the tracks, then shovel gravel in underneath. So you can just go down the track and raise it about a foot at a time.”

Andy Williams, regional public affairs director for BNSF, did not comment when reached by phone Thursday afternoon.

Mr. Williams said later in an e-mail: “BNSF already has many rail lines under water, and we are elevating approximately 3.4 miles of track near Big Lake by as much as 20 inches in an effort to keep the main line between Kansas City and Lincoln above floodwaters. ... We will continue to be responsive to flood concerns in a manner consistent with our federal obligations to provide interstate transportation service.”

Big Lake filed the injunction earlier this month. Mr. Thorne said Thursday he had yet to receive an answer from BNSF, and that he will ask for an early hearing, though a court date has not been set.

Mr. Thorne said he thinks this year’s flooding will occur before Circuit Judge Roger Prokes can rule on the injunction, which asks that the railroad tracks be lowered and that BNSF complete a hydraulic study.

“We’re looking to the future as well,” Mr. Thorne said. “Even if we don’t eliminate the problem in the next day or the next week, it’s still an issue that needs to be addressed.”

Mr. Thorne declined to comment on whether BNSF has allegedly broken any state or federal laws in addition to the city ordinance.

Flood Safety Tips for Your Home

Flood Safety Awareness Week March 14-18, 2011

To Recognize Flood Safety Awareness Week March 14 – 18, 2011, FloodSmart.gov offers the newsletter below and the many helpful links to promote flood insurance and flood awareness to consumers. There are many resources below that can be included in agency websites or used in blogs or shared via social network sites with sources listed as from FEMA or FloodSmart.gov. Spring flooding is on its way….here are resources to help to make your clients aware of their flood risks.

With the potential for massive snow melt and rain storms, many communities nationwide face the threat of flooding this spring. It is critical that you remind home and business owners of their personal flood risk and that flood insurance can financially protect them from costly flood damage. Flood Safety Awareness Week, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was created to highlight the causes and consequences of flooding and educate communities on how to prepare for and protect their homes and businesses from the devastating effects of flooding.

Tips & Tools You Can Use The National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) FloodSmart Campaign is working with FEMA and NOAA to encourage home and business owners to take the steps necessary now to guard against the risks of flooding. Please join us in promoting Flood Safety Awareness Week to your customers, community members, colleagues and partners by using the tools and resources listed below.

Ready.gov/floodawareness: Visit Ready’s Flood Safety Awareness Week landing page to download Flood Safety Awareness Week fact sheets and other important preparedness tips you can share and post to your website.

FEMA.gov/widgets: A new Flood Safety Awareness Week embeddable widget is now available. We encourage you to include this on your website to promote the week. The FloodSmart seasonal widget is also available to post and share.

FloodSmart.gov: Visit FloodSmart.gov’s homepage to find important spring preparedness and flood insurance information and outreach tools.

Blog posts and social media promotion. FEMA will be blogging and spreading the word through their social media tools (Facebook and Twitter) next week. We encourage you to join them in using social media content. Draft posts and tweets are available upon request.

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