August 23, 2002
Miss. scientists taking flood-warning technology, materials to Botswana - The Clarion-Ledger
Miss. scientists taking flood-warning technology, materials to Botswana
By Jana Hoops
Special to The Clarion-Ledger
Five metro-area scientists leave today for Botswana to share flood-warning
technology honed in Mississippi.
The scientists, a team from the U.S. Geological Survey office in Pearl,
will travel 9,000 miles to the southern African country that's seen
devastating flooding along the Limpopo River.
About 2,100 pounds of ladders, saws, drills, power generators, concrete
shovels, gas torches and other construction equipment is already en route
to Johannesburg, where the team will stop Saturday on its way to the
Botswanan capitol of Gaborone.
"You wouldn't believe how many people are involved in this around the
world," said hydrologist Phil Turnipseed of Brandon, who'll be heading the
team, which also includes three people from the Stennis Space Center near
Bay St. Louis and one from Menlo Park, Calif.
Metro-area scientists leaving today for Botswana include Turnipseed,
hydrologists Karl Winters of Jackson and Trent Baldwin of Ridgeland, and
hydrologic technicians Shane Stocks of Raymond and David Massingill of
Richland.
Turnipseed said nearly 200 people are working together around the world to
pull off the effort.
The metro-area group was chosen by the Geological Survey's national
headquarters to lead the U.S. effort to provide Botswana with the latest
warning technology after a flood driven by tropical cyclone Eline dumped
torrents of rain on the country in 2000.
The storm left tens of thousands homeless and caused $285 million worth of
economic losses. Crops and transportation infrastructure were wiped
out.
Flood early-warning technology is in short supply in Botswana.
"We have 125 river gauges in Mississippi," Turnipseed said. "Botswana is
about the size of Texas, and they have 36."
The project, dubbed Village Flood Watch, is funded by a $400,000 grant from
the U.S. Agency for International Development. It focuses on improved
preparedness, warning and response in the Limpopo River Basin in eastern
Botswana, where about 80 percent of the country's 1.5 million people
live.
Lack of communication compounds the flood threat in Botswana, hydrologist
Winters said. "When we are expecting a flood here at home, we know it
because it rains for days. But there, it may be raining in the head waters
(of the river basin) maybe 200 miles away. All this rain is building up,
heading along, and the people in the next village don't even know it. It
may take a week later for the water to come, and then it's too late."
The team leaving today will work to start monitoring stations that will
provide real-time information via the Internet and meteorological stations
at schools to gauge rainfall.
Members also will survey rivers in the Limpopo River basin and document
peak floods of 1999 and 2000.
Others will follow them to Botswana. On Sept. 20, hydrologist John Storm of
Madison and hydrologic technician Allen Roberts of Pearl leave for four
weeks to train and provide computer equipment.
The Bay St. Louis-Menlo Park team leaves in mid-October for a two-week
training session.
After the funding for the project comes to an end in December, Turnipseed
said, his office will monitor the river data from Botswana on a daily basis
via the Internet.
"We will continue to be a consulting ear for them," Turnipseed said.
Even though the team members have braced themselves for the possibility of
dodging hippos and crocodiles while working in the region, Turnipseed
believes the people will make the work worthwhile.
Having already made a preparatory trip to Botswana in May, Turnipseed said,
he's already befriended the villagers.
"What really struck me was the people," Turnipseed said. "To me, it looked
like they had smiles in their eyes. They had a bright thankfulness about
them. I was taken by that."
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