In mid-October, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a study that talked about the Missouri River's vulnerability to flooding in 2011. The river rose to record levels due to the release of massive amounts of water upstream from reservoirs that had been filled with melting snow and heavy rains. This release broke down levees, carved up gouges up to 50 feet deep, and dumped various tree limbs, pieces of children's swing sets, and other debris into farmers' fields. About $400 million will be spent to fix some of the damage along the Missouri River. There may be more funding needed; the agency is currently evaluating the amount of money needed for further repairs.
Numerous studies are being explored to determine what could have caused the flooding in 2011; some suggesting climate change being a factor. Other studies examining the flood involve whether efforts to create shallow-water habitat to help wildlife contributed to levee damage. The agency is working on adding more water gauges on the Missouri River.
I think flooding can definitely be mitigated for. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are (of course) taking an engineering approach to solve this issue. Designing structure to help prevent damages (such as levees) and inserting more water gauges contribute to flood mitigation.
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