Floods

[JcMack]

Forgive my ignorance: The floods in South and Midwest look like a really big issue. I mean BIG! Is the importance of this being downplayed? Is the rest of the country so self absorbed that they don't care? The Mississippi has spread 5 miles out in some areas. That's a hell of a long way to my way of thinking. Nobody on my TV seems to care anything about anything except Osama and Obama. I'd think this would be issue #1.

 

[Chik a Boom]

I think you're right, Jc. I recall the Nashville flood last year getting minimal coverage. I don't think the media knows any weather except that on the east coast.

Hope all our close-to-the-Mississippi River members are high and dry.

 

[JohnnieB]

.......... Is the rest of the country so self absorbed that they don't care?............

More than likely, the majority of the people don't know rather than don't care.

Over the past few years, I've noticed the Lame-Stream-Media in very selective in its reporting and the real news is on page-3, if it is reported at all.

Sadly, even the newspapers and cable news channels that tend to tell the unvarnished truth, spend most of their time trying to unravel the lies and reveal the omissions in the stories reported by the others.

The net result is that the stories pushed by those whose hidden agenda is being enacted and those trying to expose it, take up most of the airtime and ink, leaving little left over for items like the heartland being flooded or the wildfires burning through Texas.

Bottom line: Unless someone works hard at getting through the smoke and mirrors, they have very little idea on what is actually happening in their own backyard.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

The media focuses on what people are more interested in. It's called ratings.

Flood stories have been reported during roughly the same time period as the bin Laden story. Take a look at the number of threads here and activity volume regarding bin Laden. Then take a look at how many threads are about the floods. Can't blame the media for giving the audience what they want more of. If it was a ho-hum news week there would have been more time spent reporting on the floods.

 

[JcMack]

The media focuses on what people are more interested in. It's called ratings.

Flood stories have been reported during roughly the same time period as the bin Laden story. Take a look at the number of threads here and activity volume regarding bin Laden. Then take a look at how many threads are about the floods. Can't blame the media for giving the audience what they want more of. If it was a ho-hum news week there would have been more time spent reporting on the floods.

Phil, sadly you have fallen into the groove.

Jim

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Phil, sadly you have fallen into the groove.

Jim

What is that supposed to mean?

 

[DeadAye]

Geee - THE Flood is big news here

The Memphis Commercial Appeal will enlighten you - Not my favorite news source, but they are covering THE Flood.

BTW - As far as I can figure out -- This is the 4th or 5th 100 year flood in 80 years! Must be that New Math stuff.

 

[bk43]

Keep in mind the flooding is in fly-over country. Plus they're so Republican, hard working, conservative etc. in those areas. Heck, they probably own guns too! Folks, the media on the coasts don't really care and that's the way it will be no matter what else is going(or not going) on.

Bob

 

[G.T. Smith]

I have noticed that NBC is pretty much election central for Obama. It seems like that that the most important thing to them is how well they can project the president. I watched them work hard to get him elected, and that doesn't seem quite what I expect from a news source. I just got done replying to a post and saying the same thing about the flood coverage and the royal wedding. It just and campaign material for the news, and that is what they are about anymore.
Peace,
gordon

 

[labworm]

Up here in the Northeast part of the country and I am sure the entire country is well aware of the suffering and hardship the folks down south are going through.

This morning in the Boston papers there were several articles pertaining to the subject, as in every New England State. New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey etc.

Many organizations small and large are accepting donations to help those in need.

Although it may not be on the front page as a headline constantly, we are all aware of it on a daily basis.

Gentlemen, you are not alone and won't be.

 

[Faulkner]

It IS a big deal here, but one of the reasons there's not much coverage is because most of the folks don't consider themselves victims so there is no story. No one around here is standing on their rooftops waiting for the gov'ment to come save them or give them FEMA trailers, or standing in line for their free VISA card.

Interesting, I had to make a quick one day trip out of Little Rock to Memphis last week. When I headed to Memphis that morning the water out of the White River was lapping over the shoulder of I-40. As I headed back that afternoon they were closing the I-40 literally behind me as I went through, many sections of the roadway were down to one lane. Today, sections of I-40 between Little Rock and Memphis are under several feet of water. Many don't know it, but this section of interstate between Little Rock and Memphis is some of the most heavily traveled interstate in the country, a normal two hour drive between the two has increased to 6 to 8 hours with the detours.

 

[Iggy]

I been wondering if Misty is gonna get swamped again.

 

[GJH77]

As they say timing is everything. Consider the coverage on the recent tornadoes, and then came Sunday night. Plus those tornadoes were quick and violent. The floods are slow, agonizing and well known ahead of time, so my guess is the news folks don't see them as immediate and instant news. Good luck and prayers for all in the way of the water.

 

[JcMack]

We had a "100 year flood" in the spring of '81. People did there best to keep water out of basements. If you pump the basement dry, the hydrolic pressure from the water logged earth outside your home will collapse the foundation. You're better off just letting the water in, to equalize pressure. The first flood here was in the spring. Research of Army Corps documentation in '55 revealed their recommendation not to build on the flood plain including where my house was. Fast forward to Dec. same year: second "100 flood" in same area. My place was spared this time. Others closer to the river had rebuilt and now had been flooded again. Second flood I went through the town with the Red Cross to help. I was in one guys basement, it was full of freezers. He was a member of a fishing club. All the members stored fish in his freezers. I was in his basement trying to get the guy to evacuate. The guy insisted on loading our evac boat with frozen fish. He said "we can feed a lot of people with them in the next few days." Water was a foot high on basement windows. His battery backup was almost done. Kinda spooky. My heart goes out to current flood victims.

 

[G.T. Smith]

should be......

The media focuses on what people are more interested in. It's called ratings.

It really should be the other way around if they are looking for ratings, like The media should focus on what more people are interested in, rather than what people are more interested in. My self I'm am not interested in the killing of OBL, nor am I interested in the royal wedding, nor are any of the people that I know personally around here. It is , to me, just a bunch of junk kinda like reality shows and the like. I've got to where I don't even watch the news much any more except for the weather forecast.
Peace,
gordon

 

[cass]

I expect media coverage to increase as the flood waters go downstream - like to New Orleans. The looters are getting ready.

 

[35Rem]

A "100 year" event is actually a 1% annual chance event. Meaning there is a 1% chance of an event of that magnitude happening EACH year.

1% = 1 in 100 = "100 year". There is just a 1% chance of getting that kind of rainfall.

The other issue with a river like the Mississippi is that you can have a 1% storm upstream and it will carry all the way down. That's part of living on a big river. The rain can fall in Ohio or Illinois and it floods in Louisanna, too.

 

[Indiana George]

Hey neighbor!

The flooding from the Mississippi is receiving top billing here in the Lafayette, Indiana area.

In my book, of greater importance than what Lady Gaga thinks of the Immigration laws.