Pigs who swam through floodwaters killed on levee

[blonndee]

Pigs who swam through floodwaters killed on levee
Jun 18, 2008 (5:44p CDT)
By ALLEN G. BREED (AP National Writer)

KINGSTON, Iowa - Luck ran out for about a dozen pigs who escaped their flooded farm, swam through raging floodwaters and scrambled atop a sandbag levee in southeastern Iowa.

Des Moines County sheriff's officials shot the pigs Tuesday, not long after they reached the levee several miles from the nearest hog farm.

Officials said they killed the pigs over worries that they would weaken the levee. Onlookers said the animals were having a difficult time trying to maneuver their way off the sandbags, and that they scurried back into the water as people approached.

"Basically you cannot have something with a hoof walk on plastic and not poke a hole in the plastic and let water into it," said LeRoy Lippert, chairman of the county emergency management commission. "Hogs, they have a tendency to root and that would not have been good either."

http://kai03.qwest.com/WindowsLive/Media/News/NewsDetail.aspx?cat=National&id=[e-mail]&client=gadget&qid=7E245AA53D60DFDF3F081060FFFFFFFF


:(

[MadMaddie]

1. Why wouldn't they get a boat and herd them somewhere where

they wouldn't have damaged the sandbags?

[Redstone]

3. Uh, because they were BUSY trying to save people's HOUSES, maybe?

When you're in the middle of trying to keep a city (which has PEOPLE living in it) from being flooded, mounting a rescue operation for a few porkers would just HAVE to take a bit of a low priority, wouldn't you think?

Redstone

[MadMaddie]

19. Hey Redstone of course there are priorities....

don't get me wrong...but the story says they were worried about the hoofs puncturing the bags, if the bags are so fragile then wouldn't there be concern for loose debris puncturing the fragile bags? I got questions.:shrug:

And I understand people trying to save their homes but their are stories that many were not evacauted early and when the shit hit the fan they only had time to get out with the shirts on their backs. Seriously? This means absolutely nothing has changed in Disaster Recovery!

[Aqaba]

2. Thats too bad

It is my obligation to mention a tidbit that is almost irrelevant to the OP - that pork from Iowa is arguably the best in the world! Chops, ribs, roasts, PORK STEAKS OMG!

Good luck up there in Iowa, from a Show-Me state guy who grew up on the Mississippi.

[blonndee]

4. "almost irrelevant"? Try "completely irrelevant."

[Aqaba]

8. Not really....

My first thought was that they should butcher those pigs for some kind of public BBQ for the folks who lost a lot.

Maybe at an event like this one -> New! Improved! Iowa City Relief Bash Set for Tomorrow, 6/19

[blonndee]

10. Um, yeah, it is completely irrelevant

to the story and nobody in the story mentions any such action. But you keep on keeping on! Good on ya!

[Hobarticus]

6. Thanks, aqaba...get ready down there in MO

Watch yourself down there, it's coming your way next...

And welcome to DU!!!

[Aqaba]

Thanks, I'm on the Missouri these days....

...and the flooding here is fairly minimal. My hometown is right on the Mississippi, but fortunately the geography is such that only the southern portion of the town gets much flood damage, which isn't a lot. Clarksville to the south on the other hand, gets it pretty hard every time. There was a Time Magazine Cover of a guy in Clarksville wading through chest deep water during the flood of '93.

I've been reading DU for years btw, I just signed up recently for posting.

[Hobarticus]

15. Batten down the hatches, take care of your neighbors....

And hang in there. All we've got is each other.

[Catch22Dem]

16. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[Aqaba]

18. Here's a pic of the Mississippi from my hometome on a brighter day

[Elidor]

21. Why do you think they killed them?

These people wanted some fresh bacon. How sad for those enterprising pigs. Err, no: the other pigs.



:cry:

[Canuckistanian]

5. But of course, all those bullets did no damage whatsoever

Dumbasses.

[Hobarticus]

7. All those bullets?

I missed the part about using machine guns or other heavy weapons that would damage the levee.

[Canuckistanian]

11. About as much damage as pig's hooves would do

I was being sarcastic.

[XOKCowboy]

17. There's a smiley for that ya know....

It's to keep us curmudgeons from railin' at ya. :)

[XOKCowboy]

13. Just how many hogs have you raised in your lifetime?

Everything the sheriff said was true. I love pigs but they tear up the ground with their sharp hooves and by rooting (their way of getting food).

I'd like to know how you'd go about rescuing a dozen scared 200 lb hogs before they tore up your levee and flooded thousands of acres?

[hendo]

14. Only if he was a bad shot. n/t

[Gabi Hayes]

9. that reminds me....RIP, Tim

[NCDem60]

12. Unfortunate but necessary. The hooves of a 400 pound

sow would easily puncture the thin plastic sand bags with every movement.

[lonestarnot]

20. Poor piggies. I hope they didn't go to waste. How sad this whole flooding situation is for all.