Definitely not a trillion dollars. That's a big number that is difficult to put into perspective. If the dam broke, it could flood the entire state and require our entire military the whole year to clean up and still not cost a trillion dollars.,(reply>), @EebstertheGreat Finally, an actually decent explanation from you!,(reply>), @Anonymous Because if it floods, it could cause billions or even tens of billions of dollars of damage and force tens of thousands of people to relocate.,(reply>), @EebstertheGreat Then why is it such a problem?,(reply>), @Anonymous Because the kind of flooding we are talking about is gradual and low in depth, especially far from the banks of the river. You could just walk away from it. It's not like a tsunami.,(reply>), @EebstertheGreat Why is the Mississippi unable to do that?