Flood Ready Meetings

Missouri Farm Bureau, the Missouri Levee & Drainage District Association, the Coalition to Protect the Missouri River, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and the Missouri Department of Agriculture hosted meetings March 2-3 in Northwest Missouri to identify problems, answer questions, and provide resources for Missouri farmers as they continue to recover from 2019 flood damage and prepare for potential 2020 flooding. 

The panel featured Dru Buntin of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USDA – Risk Management Agency, USDA – Farm Service Agency, and USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service. 

Dru Buntin

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Jud Knuevean

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Michael Dulin

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Tim Drier

USDA Farm Service Agency

Brandon Viers

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Presentation Slides

Greg Oetting

USDA Risk Management Agency
Presentation Slides

Questions/Answers

 

0:00 Q1. Rock Port. Do I pay 2.5 times my federal crop premium or am I able to go back to where I was this last year? It is confusing when farmers hear conflicting reports about the status of the levee repair.

2:06 Q2. Rock Port. How much has the bottom of the river silted in?

6:39 Q3. Rock Port. How does a project in one area of the river impact other areas, say downstream? Is that looked at?

8:59 Q4. Rock Port. The dollars aren’t there. How do we repair our levees?

13:40 Q5. St. Joseph. What does 100% river look like right now?

17:38 Q6. St. Joseph. Why does one group get to raise their levees and others don’t?

21:09 Q7. St. Joseph. We’ve seen an uptick in mental health issues in flooding areas. As state and federal agencies what are you doing to help farmers who are struggling?

26:36 Q8. Brunswick. Why doesn’t the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manage the river better?

34:34 Q9. Brunswick. We have a zillion tons of used sand in these sandbags. Can we apply that sand back onto fields?

35:44 Q10. Brunswick. What’s being done at the national level for river management?

37:58 Q11. Brunswick. Has there ever been talk of adding a flood control structure down lower, like maybe on the Grand River?

38:49 Q12. Brunswick. Our project is underway, but we aren’t sure if we will be up to that certifiable condition by the plant date. Are there any extensions on the crop insurance deadlines?

42:14 Q12. Rhineland. If a district fixes a levee on its own, rather than the Corps fixing it, is the district eligible for the 75% of the 20% match from the state?

44:48 Q13. Rhineland. What is the possibility of diverting some of this water?

48:13 Q14. Rhineland. What about sedimentation issues on the upstream reservoirs?

51:35 Q15. Rhineland. Are IRCs still being constructed?

54:13 Q16. Rhineland. What needs to be done to get policy changes so farmers can go out and make repairs that will count toward eventual reimbursement?

Spread the Word!

Use the video, share images, information below to help us raise awareness about the importance of getting Missouri Flood Ready.


Missouri farmers are still rebuilding and recovering from last year’s catastrophic flooding. Now, looking ahead at potentially more flooding in 2020, what needs to be done to get farmers and our state Flood Ready? mofb.org/floodready #MOFloodReady

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The massive floods of 1993 came and went in a month and a half. In 2019, the flood lasted more than five times as long – an almost nine-month flood event. The waters just receded in December, and we have a lot of work to do to rebuild and get #MOFloodReady. Learn more at mofb.org/floodready



USDA reported that 1.4 million Missouri acres went unplanted last year due to flooding and excessive rain. What can we do to help farmers and our state get flood ready for 2020? Learn more at mofb.org/floodready. #MOFloodReady



It’s hard to get work done on the farm when roads are closed. According to MoDOT, 470 roads were closed across Missouri due to flooding in 2019 and many are still unrepaired. Learn more at mofb.org/floodready #MOFloodReady