How The Mississippi River And The New Deal Have Affected Emergency Management

Homework 7

Gaven D. Crosby

Pennsylvania College of Technology

Homework 7

This paper will discuss the way that the Mississippi River, and the New Deal have affected emergency management. The Mississippi River is a river that floods quite often, almost every year. The lower portion floods more than the upper portions, and affects more people. This is due to the terrain of the areas surrounding the lower Mississippi. The New Deal was a plan enacted by President Franklin Roosevelt. The plan was in a response to the Great Depression. The New Deal centered around relief for financially struggling people, recovery of the economy, and reform of the financial system.

The Mississippi River runs almost directly through the middle of

Thus, major cities formed around the river. The river flows through cities like Minneapolis, St. Louis, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. The Mississippi is fed by many tributaries such as the Ohio River, White River, Arkansas River, Big Black River, and the Yazoo River. What this means is that the lower we follow the Mississippi, the more water we will see being transported through it. This means that the lower portions are more susceptible to flooding than the higher areas of the river. This is due to the river growing larger, as it travels downstream. Most rivers and creeks grow larger as they flow downstream. The difference with the Mississippi is the amount of water being transported through it. The Mississippi has more tributaries than most. What this means for flooding is that it will be increased, the lower you travel. We also see that areas of the Mississippi have a lower elevation than that of other rivers. This means that cities like New Orleans, Baton Rouge, etc, will be more susceptible to flooding. All of this flooding has driven a need for increased response, mitigation, preparation, and recovery efforts. The way we increased efforts was done through policy. If you remember

The New Deal was a plan to provide a response to the Great Depression. The New Deal was centered around three principles, called the 3rs. The 3rs were relief, recovery, and reform. What this means is that FDR wanted to provide relief for the financially struggling, recovery of the economy, and reform to the financial system. What this meant for the American people was an increase in stable jobs. The government created jobs through public works programs. The government created organizations such as the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC planted trees and replaced forests that were cut down for logging. The programs increased infrastructure and provided jobs to people that needed them. Another program sparked by the New Deal was the increased use of the Army Corps of Engineers to provide critical infrastructure to America. This included mostly dams, levees, bridges, and highways. This is the largest example of how the New Deal sparked changes in emergency management and how they affect us today. The levees, dams, and bridges were a mitigation tool in response to flooding. Many of these structures still last today. The Army Corps of Engineers continues to provide critical infrastructure and mitigation projects for the American people and affects emergency management to this