[Thanksgiving after flood in West Alton MO]

The Machens family slowly rebuilds their home and farm in West Alton, MO after it was severely damaged in the Great Flood of 1993.

0:01Copy video clip URL Title screen.

0:07Copy video clip URL West Alton, MO was buried in 12 feet of flood waters for six weeks in the summer of 1993. Elizabeth Machens misses the farm that her family lost in the flood, and says that the holidays are going to be difficult. Her family left their home in July, and returned in August to assess the damage.

2:21Copy video clip URL The family attempts to clean the home, which was buried in mud, and they begin rebuilding their home and farm buildings.

4:19Copy video clip URL The levies built to contain the river water must be repaired before the Machens can consider farming. The cost to repair federal levies in the St. Louis district will be $12-13 million, which does not include the two-thirds of non-federal levies in the area.

5:31Copy video clip URL Colonel James Craig, head of the Army Corps of Engineers in this district, says levy repairs are critical before the rivers rise again next spring. Craig has been calling for a total reevaluation of flood management, including rethinking the building of levies.

6:53Copy video clip URL The federal, state, and county government has discouraged people from rebuilding on flood plains. The Machens’ home was not condemned, but the decision to return was not made easily. The family has been home-sick as they wait to return to West Alton.

8:56Copy video clip URL End of tape.

 

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