Channeling and levee construction have altered how floods affect the Missouri River Valley . Several large floods have affected the valley since Europeans first came into the area . The first recorded event is the Great Flood of 1844 , which crested in Kansas City on July 16 , 1844 , discharged per second . The Great Flood of 1951 discharged per second , cresting on July 14 , 1951 . This flood devastated the lower Missouri River Valley , including Kansas City , along a reach of river where there was no levee system . The Kansas City Stockyards were destroyed and the city was forced to move the development of an airport away from the Missouri River bottoms . The Great Flood of 1993 discharged at per second and devastated much of the upper valley
Great Flood of 1993
Great Flood of 1993
Missouri River Valley