I think people have had enough. I have.

I like peace, but enough is enough.

I think your right dbates, they have always said they where going to blow another part to release water.

I certainly hope that it was blown to release pressure, I really do, but my justifiably skeptical nature of this governement makes me wonder---a lot.
---Ryan

The levees were built on CLAY. There was no need to blow them, because the water flowing over them from the flooding that filled them up would erode the clay under the base of the concrete, and let it collapse, which is exactly what happened..

I have a friend that lives in Ohio and his mother is in New Orleans. I should say was in New Orleans. Right now she is on her way to Ohio to stay with her son and I plan to go down there and meet her in person for the first time. Her home in New Orleans was virtually unharmed by the wrath of Katrina and as the storm was ending she went outside to assess the damage and start cleaning up. There was no flooding in her area except for a little in the street due to leaves that had blocked the drainage system and was able to reach her son by cell phone to let him know she was alright and give him the status of the family home. I will say that she is white, her husband is deceased from cancer, and all of her 5 children live out of state. She had weathered Camille and was confident Katrina would nothing more than just a little more damage. It had actually done less in her opinion at least to her house. She was talking with some neighbors and helping move some larger branches out to the curb when they heard a bunch of explosions coming from the levee. Torrents of water came rushing at them. She ran to the house, grabbed what she could including her cell phone, and got into the attic. Before she knew it the water was coming into the attic. She kicked out the attic vent and crawled onto the roof. After that she could not get a call out on her cell phone. It was like the cell towers had been blown up too according to her. She spent nearly 4 days on her rooftop. She has not seen any of her neighbors and fears them dead. After they finally rescued her she spent 4 days in a Texas hospital and while there she met up with some other ladies her age heading in the direction of Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. She is with them and will be dropped off hopefully tomorrow.

First, let me say that I'm glad that she's ok, and is on her way to safety.

The sound of concrete shifting as the clay gave way would also sound a lot like explosions going off. The clay wasn't going to give way immediately. The water was washing over the top of the levee and gradually eroded the clay under the bottom until the concrete walls couldn't support themselves anymore and they gave out.

Why should the Corps of Engineers use explsovies when they had backhoes on hand for repairs. If they wanted to make it look like the levee just gave way, there were a lot of better ways for them to do it to make it look like it was an accident, or caused by the storm than explosives. Explosives would be so obvious. Not only would it let everyone that could hear in a few mile radius know that they did it on purpose, if they denied it there would be forensic evidence left behind. If they wanted this to look like an accident all they would have had to do was use the backhoes to dig out the foundation, or rip the concrete apart, or dig the back wall that was supporting the concrete.

If they WERE going to flood on purpose they would have gone through the neighborhoods and tried to evacuate everyone, or at least as many people as they could before doing it.

Originally posted by deltaboy
why bomb the levee wen the Katrina can just bring it down with ease dat really dont make sense unless it can actually withstand the Katrina hurricane that means Bush is not responsible and should not spend funds to upgrade it!!!!

Not saying I endorse this whole speculation... however bombing the levee would ensure where it broke and who faced the brunt of the damage... It definately was going to break regardless of bombings, but tactical bombings could ensure that it was the poor black folks in St Bernard, not rich white folks in the french quarter that took the onslaught of rushing water.

Sri Oracle

Most of the evidence would have been washed away by the rushing flood waters and I doubt the people trying to fix the levee are looking for explosive residue. All we will have is the stories of the survivors to go on.

Flooding the area actually in the long run strengthens our economy.

1. It causes the deaths of more poor people. Less money payed in welfare long-term. Less people to find jobs.

2. Causes more destruction. Now there is more to rebuild, more contracts, more jobs.

For Bush and his cronies...

1. Delays the reestablishment of refineries increasing the price of oil and gas. Therefore the oil companies make even more money and Bush and Co. more money.

I wonder if the people of Katrina who get the debit cards will have to pay taxes on the $2000.

Any explosive residue will remain on the concrete, and the damage will be obvious to anyone who finds the pieces later. There were so many better options available to them if they wanted to cause the levee to fail, however there was no need for them to blow it up, since it was incapable of standing up to a Cat 4 or 5 hurricane. The reason it didn't fail immediately was because it took time for the water to start flowing over the top of it and to erode the clay under the base of it.

I work with concrete for a living. Sometimes making panels called tilt panels for warehouses, sheds ect. To make these, you pour them in cast boxes, one on top of the other. Then you basically pick them up with a crane and put them into place with braces. Like making a card castle pretty much, pulling the cards off the top of the deck. There is a special chemical sprayed in between them to stop them sticking together. Unfortunately the chemical dosnt always bond properly and sometimes they do stick together. Ive seen one stick with a crane lifting at over 20 tonne of pressure on a panel that was about 15 meters by 10 meters and only about half a foot thick. Once the pressure was increased to about 25 tonne the concrete started to crack and give way. The noise was like a small thunder crack, very loud considering how small the panel was. I can only imagine what the noise of the levee would have been like with the pressure of the atlantic ocean behind it. Im tipping the levee was thicker than half a foot too.

Another map for reference.

How many times have wildland fires been treated with the same ideology?

I've witnessed it, and have heard stories.

The only reason I'm inclined to give this story any thought as reality is because it has been common practice to send Fire Protection Serves and resources to where they will save the most valuable local resources, as oppose to what would be easily rebuilt.

Nothing against firefighters (as I am one), or their work ethics, as they must follow the orders of the local officials who are elected by the communities for which they serve.

If we have had this ideology for fires, then it would be easy to see how this tactic would be used for flooding as well.

I agree that it makes sense, but it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't even TRY to get people out before they opened it up. It would have made more sense if they had tried to evacuate, and THEN blew the levee.

Stick around with ATS. We like your kind!!

Thanks.

I believe as part of a Cat 3 "wargame" the USACofE said if they strategically blew parts of the levee system when the surge subsided it would suck allot of water along with it. I think I saw that on CNN or BBC I forget.

And isn't the french quarter above sea level?