 Due to heavy rainfall and high water levels on the river, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was considering a plan to destroy a levee on the Missouri side of the river in hopes of lowering the flood level and preventing severe flood damage to Cairo and other downstream areas.Destroying the levee would have flooded several hundred thousand acres of Missouri farmland.When reporters asked if he would rather see Missouri farmland flooded or the town of Cairo, Tilley responded "Cairo.