Articles by Jim Salter

Levees Strain in Midwest; Volunteers Keep Fighting

Twelve hours into a sandbagging shift, and working through a driving storm punctuated by lightning and loud claps of thunder, Casey Lee wasn’t ready to quit. Not until the makeshift levee protecting tiny Dutchtown in southeast Missouri was up and …

Many Midwest Homeowners Reject FEMA Flood Buyouts, Despite Benefits

Two years ago, Larry Frese thought he’d escaped the worst of a flood that had left a lot of his neighbors’ homes in Chelsea, Iowa, and a large swath of the state underwater, even as overflowing Otter Creek lapped at …

Missouri Governor: State Must Be Ready for Big Quake

Most experts believe it’s just a matter of time before another big earthquake strikes along the New Madrid fault line, and Gov. Jay Nixon says Missouri and neighboring states need to be ready. Nixon on Feb. 19 convened a panel …

Cleanup Begins After Midwest Storms Kill 6

Residents of the Midwest began clearing away wreckage May 9 following a wave of powerful storms that splintered homes, knocked out power to thousands and killed six people. Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed May 8 in …

Readiness of Some Rebuilt Levees in Midwest Questioned

With the prospect of another season of spring flooding fast approaching, the Army Corps of Engineers insists the earthen flood levees outmatched by the Mississippi River last summer are rebuilt and ready. Not everyone’s so sure. It was nearly nine …