Mississippi River Shut Down, Could Cost $100 Billion
Severe droughts have lowered the water levels of the Mississippi River to the point that it may be closed down.
Parts of the major waterway have started to dry up as a serious lack of rainfall has plagued the region.
The Army Corps of Engineers is looking into possible solutions, but increasing the flow of water artificially apparently won't solve the crisis.
According to the Tennessean, Sen. Claire McCaskill said on Friday that the corps would be blamed if the massive river is shut down.
"Missouri businesses and jobs depend on our ability to continue commercial navigation along the Mississippi - and the dropping water level can't be ignored," McCaskill said. "The Army Corps is now saying that we can continue navigation without increased flows from the Missouri, and we should hold them accountable if that prediction doesn't pan out."
The area most impacted by the drought is the central part of the river, but farms and other industries are hurting from the water shortage.
If nothing can be done within a few days, the Mississippi River will be shut down and the economy will feel the impact of the commercial waterway's closure.
The shutdown will cost around $100 billion in loss of business which is more than the total devastation left by Hurricane Sandy at $75 billion, according to CNBC. Nearly 10,000 jobs are possibly under threat if the river is shut down.
The Mississippi River is one of the major transportation waterways used for moving everything from grain, chemicals, petroleum and more.
The 180 mile stretch of river is apparently up to 20 feet lower than its annual average for the time of year. At this point the only savior could be major rainstorm to boost the river back to acceptable levels.
