Yeah, and you might do a little Googling yourself if you want to categorically deny that race was a factor in this:
The Associated Press: Army Corps officer faces difficult choice on levee
You do know that a flood by cairo just wouldn't affect cairo, but other communities as well? That the extra pressure on the levees, above and beyond what would normally be found in a flood stage, could cause non planned failures, leading to even more destruction?
The media focused on Cairo, because the media is the equivalent of a simpleton when it comes to engineering/science topics. They popped the levee to protect the system first, because if the system failed you would have far more damage done than if they flood a designated floodway. Cairo is not a designated floodway.
Your original statement was the people of missouri had no idea their land could be used a floodway. I have proven that wrong.