(4 Jun 2012) HEADLINE: Missouri River flood still frustrating farmers
CAPTION: One year later, farmers in Iowa and Nebraska are still fighting sand left by Missouri River flood (June 4)
[Location – Date:MISSOURI VALLEY, IOWA/ JUNE 4, 2012]
[Source:AP TELEVISION]
[VO:]
IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE THE MISSOURI RIVER OVER FLOWED ITS BANKS, TOPPED A LEVEE AND SUBMERGED FARMER MASON HANSEN’S FIELD. HE IS STILL TRYING TO CLEAR THE ENORMOUS SAND DEPOSITS FROM HIS LAND THAT ONCE REACHED 4 FEET.
[SOT/:MASON HANSEN/FARMER]
"we got the news that we were going to have four feet of water on our farm stead in honey creek. We were standing there looking at each other, we stopped farming and we started packing our stuff up."
FARMERS ALONG THE RIVER ARE FACING A MONSTROUS CLEAN-UP CHALLENGE EVEN AS PUBLIC ATTENTION ON FLOOD VICTIMS HAS FADED. PARTS OF IOWA AND NEBRASKA ARE STILL BURIED AND IT’S UNLIKELY THAT ANYONE WILL BE ABLE TO FARM ALL OF IT AGAIN.
[SOT/:MASON HANSEN/FARMER]
"the mess that’s here on the farm ground is a big one. It will take years to fix it, some of it won’t be fixed. I’m hopeful that this is my generation’s flood and I don’t see it again. "
HANSEN HAS SPENT THE PAST NINE MONTHS PUSHING TONS OF SAND OFF THE LAND HE HAS FARMED SINCE 2000. HE HAS WORKED THROUGH THE WINTER TO CLEAR 140 ACRES. BUT THE JOB IS FAR FROM OVER.
[SOT/:MASON HANSEN/FARMER]
"Just have to get out there and work it. It will take a lot of time, quite a bit of money, but we feel that it’s worth it."
SAND COVERED SOIL ISN’T SUITABLE FOR GROWING CROPS, LEAVING FARMERS TO PLANT IN LESS-FERTILE GROUND. LIKE OTHER FARMS AROUND HIM, HANSEN’S FARM REMAINS SCARRED BY SCOUR HOLES AND SAND BAGS INSTEAD OF BOUNTIFUL CROPS.
[SOT/:MASON HANSEN/FARMER]
"Scour holes everywhere, that hole is 10 feet deep, that used to be the driveway."
DESPITE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DISASTER RELIEF AID APPROVED FOR MIDWESTERN FARMERS, EXPERTS SAY SOME MIGHT NEVER RECOVER. STILL, WITH THE LAST MONTH’S CLOSE OF PLANTING SEASON, NO FEDERAL OR STATE ESTIMATES EXIST ON HOW MUCH FLOOD DAMAGED LAND HAS GONE UNPLANTED THIS SPRING.
ASSOCIATED PRESS.
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/973e218c0f7bfe7f2261fa6c83411a3f
Author: AP Archive
Go to Source
News post in March 4, 2025, 12:05 pm.
Visit Our Sponsor’s:
News Post In – News
