Final answer:
The subject of this question is Geography as it relates to the flooding of rivers and the role of levees and floodplains. The student is asking about a specific flood event that occurred in 1993 and the reasons for the floodwaters flowing onto the floodplain and taking months to dry out.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is Geography as it relates to the flooding of rivers and the role of levees and floodplains. The student is asking about a specific flood event that occurred in 1993 and the reasons for the floodwaters flowing onto the floodplain and taking months to dry out.
To understand this, we need to consider how levees work. Levees are raised embankments built along river channels to prevent flooding. However, in the case of the 1993 Upper Mississippi River flood, the levees did not hold back the water, and floodwaters flowed onto the floodplain. The reason for this was that the levees were not providing enough water, despite the high flood levels.
The floodwaters were trapped on the floodplain because the levees failed to hold them back. This prevented the water from flowing back into the main river channel. As a result, it took months for the floodplains to dry out.