Sorry Terry. I live by one of the tributaries: the Missouri River, which was out of its banks for several months last year.

I think water from most of the country between the Appalachians and the Rockies eventually finds its way to the Mississippi.

Here is a little something I wrote during the floods last year:

The Ballad of 2011

(with apologies to Johnny Horton and “The Battle of New Orleans”)

In 2 aught 11 we took a little spree

To view all the flooding on the mighty “Mizz-a-ree”

We took our life preservers down to have a little fun

Splashing through the river park down in Atchison

We built our levees but the water kept a-comin’

The storms brought more than there was a while ago

We sandbagged higher but it kept a-runnin’

Down the mighty Mo’ to the Gulf of Mexico

We looked at the river and we see’d the water rise

Floatin’ down debris and trees of every size

It rose up so high whole towns had to flee

Away from the reach of the muddy “Mizz-a-ree”

The Corp of Engineers said there was no other way

But to open up the gates before the whole dam washed away

We shored up the levees and piled sandbags as well

Then we readied up our pumps and waited for the swell

The river ran through the towns and it ran through the fields

And it ran across the highways til the traffic couldn’t go

It ran high and fast and the people couldn’t stop it

Down to the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico