Mississippi River and Tributaries Project Authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1928 and Amended by FCA ‘65

Mississippi River & Tributaries Project Historic Flood of 2011

Mr. Donald R. Davenport Hydraulic Engineer/Silver Jacket Coordinator

Memphis District

US Army Corps of Engineers

BUILDING STRONG®

Flooded 26,000 sq. miles 600,000 homeless Over 250 people killed Economic Damages ~$1B

MR&T Project & 2011 Flood Facts

• MR&T Project Authorized After the 1927 Flood-Flood Control Act of 1928 •Designed for a Project Design Flood (PDF) – Extreme Event w/Reasonable Chance of Occurrence •2011 Flood Exceeded 1927 and/or 1937 floods but was only about 80- 85% of PDF •MR&T Project contained the 2011 Flood despite being only 89% Complete while: •No MR&T Levees failed or were overtopped •Used 3 of 4 Floodways during the 2011 Flood (not Atchafalaya in New Orleans District) •Backwater Areas’ Flooding Limited to Interior Flooding Although Came Close to Using Yazoo BW Area in the Vicksburg Distrit

US Army Corps of Engineers

BUILDING STRONG® Project Design Flood Rainfall

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US Army Corps of Engineers

BUILDING STRONG® Memphis District Boundaries

MRT Project in Memphis District

.1,160 miles of Levees & Floodwalls .275 miles of Berms .1,300 Relief Wells .4 Corps Pumping Stations .1,300 miles of Channels .600 miles of Navigation Channel . 2 Harbors The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.

The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.

8 BUILDING STRONG® BUILDING STRONG® Memphis Flood Fight Areas & Activation Levels

INDICATED STAGES FOR MOBILIZATION WITH SUSTAINED RISE IN SIGHT INDICATED FLOOD MOBILIZATION STAGE STAGE PHASE I PHASE II

Little River Diversion Channel 32 ft 38 ft 43 ft (Cape Girardeau, MO, Gage)

MISSISSIPPI RIVER: Cairo Gage 40 ft 49 ft 52 ft Memphis Gage 34 ft 37 ft 39 ft Helena Gage 44 ft 46 ft 48 ft

ST. FRANCIS RIVER: St. Francistown Gage 18 ft 24 ft 25 ft Lake City Gage 6 ft 12 ft 13.5 ft

WHITE RIVER: Georgetown Gage 21 ft 22 ft 29 ft Des Arc Gage 24 ft 25 ft 31 ft Clarendon Gage 26 ft 32 ft 35 ft

10 BUILDING STRONG® Total PDF Precipitation Observed Apr 19-May 4 2011 Precipitation

Comparison between the Project Design Flood (PDF) Precipitation events and the observed 2011 precipitation event.: • The PDF occurred in 3 events. • The axis of maximum precipitation for the PDF was along and south of the Ohio River. • Maximum rainfall totals for PDF were 24-32” over KY and along the Ohio River • The 2011 precipitation event occurred during 2 events 4/19-4/28 and 5/1-5/4. • The axis of maximum precipitation for the 2011 event was along and just north of the Ohio River in unregulated areas. • Maximum rainfall totals for 2011 event were 12-24” along and just north of the Ohio River. •It should be noted that stages at Cairo were elevated (+10ft or 127% of normal) at the onset of the 2011 rainfall event due to heavy rains in late Feb/early Mar that produced a crest of 53.41’ on 3/18.

11 BUILDING STRONG® BUILDING STRONG® Floodfight Time Line

April 24 April 28

April 20 April 25 April 29

4/20 4/21 4/22 4/23 4/24 4/25 4/26 4/27 4/28 4/29 4/30 2011

Reelfoot Obion

Cairo

Missouri

Upper St. Francis

West Memphis

Memphis Helena Clarksdale White River

13 BUILDING STRONG® May 18 May 24

May 10 May 16 May 21 May 26

May 17 May 22 May 2 May 6 May 11 May 28

5/1 5/5 5/9 5/13 5/17 5/21 5/25 5/29 2011

Lower St. Francis

Upper St. Francis

White River

Reelfoot Obion

Missouri

Cairo

West Memphis

Memphis

Clarksdale

Helena

14 BUILDING STRONG® Top 10 Significant Events

. High energy sandboils in Cairo, IL . Water Berm near Fulton, KY . Operation of Birds Point New Madrid Floodway . Overtopping of Wappapello Spillway in Missouri . Bank Failure at Merriweather – Cherokee in Tennessee . Tennemo Levee breach . Dyer County Little Levee breaches . Overtopping of White River Levee, Biscoe, AR . Sandboils at Ensley Levee, Memphis, TN . Sandboils at Rena Lara, MS

Events in our discussion

15 BUILDING STRONG® Sand Boils

LEVEE CENTERLINE

LANDWARD SAND BOIL RIVERWARD IMPERVIOUS ZONE RANDOM ZONE

NATURAL BLANKET

FOUNDATION SAND

BEDROCK

BUILDING STRONG® Mother of all Sandboils (MOASB) – Cairo, IL

17 BUILDING STRONG® Sandboil in Cairo, IL

BUILDING STRONG® Sandboil in Cairo, IL

19 BUILDING STRONG® Sandboil – approximately 12’ deep and 50’ across

20 BUILDING STRONG® High Energy Sandboil in Cairo, IL

21 BUILDING STRONG® Additional High Energy Sandboil in Cairo, IL

22 BUILDING STRONG® Additional High Energy Sandboil in Cairo, IL

23 BUILDING STRONG® Ensley Levee south of Memphis, TN

24 BUILDING STRONG® Ensley Levee south of Memphis, TN

25 BUILDING STRONG® Sandboils at toe of Ensley Levee Berm

26 BUILDING STRONG® Fulton County KY Water Berm

27 BUILDING STRONG® Fulton County KY Water Berm

28 BUILDING STRONG® Fulton County KY Water Berm

29 BUILDING STRONG® Tennemo Levee Crevasse

30 BUILDING STRONG® Tennemo Levee Crevasse

31 BUILDING STRONG® Dyer County Little Levee Breaches

32 BUILDING STRONG® Dyer County Little Levee Breaches

33 BUILDING STRONG® 34 BUILDING STRONG® The Ultimate Action in Risk Management

Memphis District blew up 9000’ of MS river main line levee !

35 BUILDING STRONG® BPNM Floodway Performance

Cairo Cairo Gage Information Wickliffe Prior to Activation of Inflow Crevasse: 61.7’ 5/2/2011 Expected Crest without Activation: 63.0’ 5/5/2011 Immediately Following Activation: 60.67’ 5/3/2011 Inflow Friday’s Stage: ~28.5’ 7/29/2011 Crevasse Provided 3.5’+ benefit compared to predicted stages

Flow Rates Inflow/Outflow Crevasse #1 Inflow Crevasse = 404,000 cfs on 5/3/2011 Hickman Inflow/Outflow #1 = 87,000 cfs on 5/16/2011 Inflow/Outflow #2 = 383,000 cfs 5/6/2011 Reelfoot (Includes1500 ft Gap and Inflow/Outflow #2) Lake

Inflow/Outflow Crevasse #2

Link to USGS for flow/velocity: http://water.usgs.gov/osw/floods/today/BPNM_measurement.html BUILDING STRONG® BUILDING STRONG® Plan of Operations-Based on Cairo Gage Setback Levee (65.5') 66 Cairo Floodwall and 65 Commerce Birds Point Trigger Points and 63 Levee (65.3’) Operation Times PDF with Floodway (62.5') 62 Must Operate by 61’ Frontline Levee (62.5') 61 H + 12 Fuse plugs on 60 Frontline Levee (60.5’) Inflow crevasse ready for operation 59 H - 0 Comparative Heights Arrive at Floodway; Load embedded of Flood Control Works 58 pipes (forecast 60.5’ and rising) 57 H - 15 56 Depart Memphis Harbor (projected rise) H - 53 55 54 Load barges and MVK vessels depart from Vicksburg 53 H - 77 52 Personnel and equipment on “alert” H - 101

BUILDING STRONG® FLOODWAY ACTIVATION

BUILDING STRONG® Birds Point New Madrid (BPNM) barges loaded at Ensley Engineer Yard (EEY)

40 BUILDING STRONG® BPNM barges loaded at EEY

41 BUILDING STRONG® BPNM tow heading north on 26 April

42 BUILDING STRONG® BPNM Access Wells Opened

43 BUILDING STRONG® BPNM Pumping Activities

44 BUILDING STRONG® 45 BUILDING STRONG® Inflow Performance

. Stats: ► 24,875 of 27,210 LF detonated (91.5%) ► 404,000 cfs Max Inflow on 3 May 2011 BUILDING STRONG®

BUILDING STRONG® BUILDING STRONG® The Historic Flood of 2011

. The MR&T Project worked as designed – provided the authorized level of flood protection. . The flood recorded historic levels throughout the basin. . All 6 Districts conducted flood fights in their areas. . Virtually all of the Memphis District was engaged with flood fighting or supporting the effort. . The District was in flood fight mode for 47 straight days. This was the only known time that all 10 flood fight areas of the District were in flood fights at the same time. . The only time in history that the 3 major floodways were used together for one flood: Birds Point New Madrid Floodway in Missouri, and Morganza Floodway and Bonnet Carre Spillway in Louisiana.

49 BUILDING STRONG®

50 BUILDING STRONG® …but not without damage CAIRO MISSOURI RF HELENA LOWER SF MEMPHIS UPPER SF RIVER WHITE CLARKSDALE - OBION

DEFICIENCY TOTAL Armoring 1 1 Backwater Flooding 8 2 1 1 3 3 18 Burrows 1 5 6 Depression 2 2 3 1 1 1 7 17 Deterioration 1 3 2 1 7 Erosion 1 1 2 Excavation 1 1 Failure (Undetermined) 1 3 4 Inoperable 1 1 Leaking 4 1 1 5 11 Obstructions 1 1 Other (Specifiy in remarks) 7 9 1 2 5 5 1 1 31 Overtopping 2 2 1 5 Rutting 2 1 3 Sand Boils 30 14 57 12 1 33 41 85 273 Scouring 1 5 8 14 Seepage 2 2 2 70 10 15 16 117 Sliding 3 6 2 3 1 2 17 Slope Stability 2 2 4

Total 62 38 69 100 18 68 61 5 112 533

51 BUILDING STRONG® Memphis District 2011 Flood Repairs Upper District

52 BUILDING STRONG® Memphis District 2011 Flood Repairs Lower District

53 BUILDING STRONG® 54 BUILDING STRONG® Relief Wells

RIVERSIDE LANDSIDE

Clay

Sand

Tertiary Formation

55 BUILDING STRONG® Slurry Trench

RIVERSIDE LANDSIDE

Clay

Sand

Tertiary Formation

56 BUILDING STRONG® BIRDS POINT-NEW MADRID FLOODWAY 1990 RECON STUDY ALTERNATIVES . Levee realignment

. Auxiliary channel – Route A

. Auxiliary channel – Route B

. Floodway buyout

. Total confinement (71.3’ Cairo Gage)*

. Natural overtop & existing conditions (67.1’ Cairo Gage)*

. Natural overtop & UFP @ 64.5’ (67.3’ Cairo Gage)*

*Results from MBM tests

BUILDING STRONG® Questions ?

BUILDING STRONG® Typical Sandboils near Hickman, KY

59 BUILDING STRONG® Birds Point - New Madrid Floodway . Mission – ► To maintain the integrity of the Mississippi River Levees upstream and adjacent to the floodway by permitting additional flow through the floodway thereby lowering flood stages at Cairo and vicinity during major flood events.

. Authorization – ► A component of the Mississippi River and Tributaries project authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1928 and amended by FCA ‘65.

. Features – ► 35 miles in length. 4 to 12 miles wide. 205 square miles in area. ► Setback mainline levee and frontline levee ► Upper and Lower fuse plug ► Bluehole and sanding lands ► Inflow crevasse at north end ► Inflow/outflow crevasses (2) at south end

. Operation – ► Multi step approach over multiple days is required to get all pieces into place ► Decision matrix and operational steps are critical path driven ► Requires approval by MRC Commission President – MG Walsh

BUILDING STRONG® Birds Point - New Madrid Floodway

. Operation (cont) – ► Fuse plug sections are 2 feet lower than remaining frontline levee. Additionally, there is an existing gap between the setback levee and the frontline levee that is approximately 15 hundred feet long.

► Operation will require almost all personnel at EEY

► Floodway Operation History • Operated during 2011 Flood Event (2nd time in history) • Only Prior Operating during the 1937 Flood Event • Barges loaded for 1997 Flood • Bank Graders sent to Caruthersville for 1983 Flood

BUILDING STRONG® Challenges

. Execution of the plan contingent on management decisions ► Plan and Staff Recommendations: • Begin loading charges at 59’ (15 hrs to load) • Loading complete at 60’ ► Senior Leadership did not act on Staff Recommendations • Waited to begin loading at 60’ • Compressed schedule to load explosives under adverse weather conditions • Did not activate until 61.7’ . Decision to place ordinance in pipes delayed from advised target ► Weather became issue ► High river level: had to sand bag manholes and pump out water to load explosives ► Negative Impact on safety for already hazardous work ► Close to not being able to place charges for inflow/outflow crevasse #2—ran out of components & had to procure more at ~1/2 yield as original . Availability of blasting agent was less than expected—had to obtain additional agent on short notice and install—rush to install may have impacted proportioning of agents. BUILDING STRONG® Challenges

. Communication regarding BPNM floodway and its operation was lacking— many, even within Corps of Engineers, did not understand that blowing the “levee” was part of floodway operations. . There was a general lack of understanding about how the operation should go ► Personnel involved had only been through partial exercises limited to • Loading barges • Transport of equipment/materials to general area • Periodic testing of mixing pumps • Periodic testing of explosive mixture ► No individual had been around when the floodway was last operated (1937) to provide guidance ► No full scale practice exercises to test procedures and methods or to develop experience for field operations . There was misconception that once explosives were loaded into the pipes that the plan must be executed—Reality was that loading the pipes did not require detonation, the mixture could have been removed without fully executing the plan.

BUILDING STRONG® Blue: Paducah Green: Evansville

Rainfall Inches Natural crest without Crests breach @ 66.73’ 66.73’ Natural without breach 65.50’ Natural 61.72’ Observed Floodway Operation @

Cairo Stage Feet 61.72’

Observed w/o Reservoirs w/o Reservoirs & No Breach Top of flood pool

Constrained top of pool Maintain releases to Increase releases to Cuts Initiated with keep pool on guide keep pools steady Target 61’ at curve. ahead of crest. Cairo

Balance releases to maintain pools below msl Kentucky-Barkley 374 ft while reducing flood heights at

Elevation Feet Paducah.

Kentucky-Barkley Discharge CFS Kentucky

Barkley

BUILDING STRONG®