Actually, it is the people who write these alarmist articles. They NEVER bother to study the whole design of the totality of the Mississippi control program. The ORCS, Morganza Spillway, and EAST Atchafalaya Floodway only constitute ONE HALF of the capacity of the system. These use fine-tunable structures. The WEST half of the floodway consists of a low-sill levee, which is specifically designed to fail (and if it doesn't, will be blown up) to relieve any danger to the EAST half of the Floodway. The presence of that WEST Floodway is why the towns of Simmesport, Melville, etc. are totally surrounded by levees. Folks who have built homes and businesses outside those levees WILL have them washed away......but the control also WILL be protected.
Interesting! Planning is great until bullets fly - Eisenhower. If an earthquake changes the course...