Bellow is a diagram of he exact location of the Mississippi:
Cause of the flood in 1993:
Like many floods this flood was caused by large amounts of precipitation over a long period of time, in June and July of 1993 much of the area experienced over 150% of normal rainfall and parts of North Dakota, Kansas and Iowa (see diagram bellow) experienced more than double their normal rainfall.
On top of this individual storms frequently dumped large volumes of rain that could not be accommodated along with the other precipitation, the ground was already saturated not only by the previous rainfalls but during the previous year 1992 the weather conditions were considerably cooler which meant less evaporation and so there was less rainfall absorbed by the soils to start with.
There were changes in upper atmosphere wind flows, which caused more rainfall than usual, and the previous year the river system had been altered by the draining of the riverine wetland and construction of levees, which may have disrupted natural water cycles. Which was not help by the fact that there is the confluence of two large rivers at that point.
The other human causes are that unsuitable sites were developed on the floodplain, there was pressure on city space because of urbanisation and the levees were poorly built and not federally made.
Effects of the flood:
As a result of the floods a large amount of money has been spent on transforming 300 dams, storage reservoirs, diversion channels, floodwalls and artificial levees. There has subsequently been great economic loses to he region with property being damaged when flooded cars smashed and property floating away the worst hit by the economic losses have been des marines and Iowa.
As far as precaution, which have been taken levees, have been heightened and some meanders straightened, artificial levees have been reinforced with concrete. And when it comes to building on the floodplains there has now been regulation bought in concerning building improvements and risk assessments for public safety also there has been restrictions on the amount of building allowed in certain areas.
The has also been long term project set up in order to help such as the wet lands reserve project, where the floodplain is store floodwater, natural swamps, wet lands and agricultural land has been restored 600000 hectares so far.