Dozens of towns, one oil refinery and 3 nuke plants about to be flooded by the Mississippi flood

reply to post by louieprima


Are trees planted on the levee a bad idea? seems like big roots interlocking would help the levee hold together more than just some grass. I'm sure they would have tried this right? Maybe my theory is wrong.

reply to post by mayabong


It's good thinking in theory, something our brightest engineer minds have proposed and attempted. It turns out that the trees on the levee actually weaken it for 1 reason or another. There are trees on the batture (strip of land that is on the river side of the levee). Those have water up close to the top by this point, though. The opening of the Morganza spillway should drastically decrease the threat of overtopping or failure of the levees in BR and make things pretty safe in NO. As long as they closely control or temporarily close river traffic, everything should be fine. A runaway ship or barge could theoretically ruin everything, though. I'm in New Orleans now, recently saw a ship go by over the tops of the houses along the river. I have my evac kit (bugout bag) ready to go, but I'm really not that worried. I do feel bad for the folks in the Atchafalaya basin.

reply to post by louieprima


So why can't they open the spillway just part way and relieve a little pressure? Sounds like they are letting the river continue to build until they have no choice but to flood another area with a catastrophic release.

reply to post by Bordon81


Maybe they are scared the river will change course or maybe the water wasn't up to the gates yet. This pic was taken on may 4th and it wasn't even near the gates of the spillway.

photos.nola.com...

I'm all about pointing out potential conspiracies, government wrongdoing, and government incompetence, but this is just a situation of lots and lots of water from winter snowfall and recent rains up north coming down in the spring flood season. The river gets high every year this time of year for the same reasons. This year it just happens to be particularly high. The crest hasn't arrived yet so they aren't letting anything build up. It's just a powerful force of nature and sometimes it won't be completely contained. I'm a little concerned about my friends up in Red Stick, but I'm confident SE Louisiana will be fine. Prepared for the worst, but don't think it'll happen this time around.

reply to post by louieprima


yeah I think everything will be fine unless the river shifts of course. lol. I'm from Chalmette.

I don't know what the engineers know and the reason this
definitely has to be done but I am sad about it. I heard
on CNN that it would be a slow process opening the
spillway. Stay safe everyone and if they say evacuate
in your area please do so.

This is the map... so all of you in the affected area, prepare.

Originally posted by g146541
reply to post by Vitchilo

 

From personal experience oil washes off of my doggies fine.
I cannot say the same of radioactivity.
Bad planning, bad response, just bad all the way around is how I see it.

riiiiiiiiiight. I'm sure if gas prices jumped to ten bucks a gallon if they didnt save the refineries you wouldnt complain one bit.

They gonna open the Morganza in about half an hour.

Watch it live here

Two barges strike Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge

And what would have happened if those barges had hit the levees? Total catastrophe is what would have happened. And it nearly happened.

reply to post by Vitchilo


did i miss it? The channel says it's offline. Or is it only available in the States?

Originally posted by incrediblelousminds
reply to post by Vitchilo

 

did i miss it? The channel says it's offline. Or is it only available in the States?

Well they are doing it now...

The channel is working now

reply to post by Vitchilo


yeah, it just keeps showing me an ad and then saying offline. oh well

I think it is hard to truely wrap your mind around the power of water in a river this big. A river will eventually go where it pleases, and though we might entertain it for a while by making it do tricks, if it WANTS to move another way.... it will. It is not just for looks or for our use. It has a job to do. Sometimes the way to be the safest is to respect its awesome power and give it room to do what it needs to do. Somethings, thank goodness, are beyond our controll.

Foolishly putting things like nuclear plants and oil refineries where the river could flow in its foreseeable future, was not just a very bad idea, it was irresponsible.

reply to post by mrsdudara


The catastrophe would be if the river stopped flowing next to those sites. And it would be a devastating economic blow, not only to Louisiana, but the nation. Just stopping river traffic for days or weeks at a time is going to have negative impact. New Orleans and Baton Rouge would effectively become backwaters. And Salt Water would eventually reach up into New Orleans and beyond. The environment of the area would be turned on its head. True, man is trying to control nature and perhaps nature will win out in the end, but we have to try damn hard to put that off for as long as possible. Hundreds of thousands are directly affected, and every human on the planet is indirectly affected

Opening of Morganza Spillway prompts mandatory evacuation order in St. Landry Parish

A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for parts of St. Landry Parish, one of the first areas expected to see rising water today from Saturday’s opening of the Morganza Spillway.

Parish President Don Menard issued the order for low-laying areas south of Interstate 10, saying in a news release that “by 5 p.m., everyone in the affected areas MUST BE OUT!”

About 25,000 people and 11,000 structures are in harm’s way amid projections of up to 25 feet of flooding in 3,000 square miles of Cajun country from Melville to Morgan City.

Mississippi River flooding: Residents in Morganza Floodway pack up; some refuse to leave

As dump trucks delivered dirt around the clock to raise the back levee in this refinery town, residents packed furniture on utility trailers headed for higher ground, though many said they won’t comply with a mandatory evacuation order issued after Saturday’s opening of the Morganza Floodway to ease Mississippi River flooding.

“I don’t see water, so I’m going to stay,” said Kim Krantz, who nevertheless packed up everything in her two-story house on the vulnerable south side of town. “When I see water, I’ll get out. It’s that simple.”

I would think that by the time some residents
see flood waters coming in it may be too late
unless they have a way out in boats - still the
currents are going to be rough. IMO better
to leave and be safe.

Looks like they saved the day by doing just what everyone was afraid they were going to do!

The only ones that should be effected were notified years upon years earlier that they lived in a spillway zone that would have to be used for just this sort of purpose.

reply to post by AnteBellum


Yep, Most of those folks either knew where they were moving or signed papers saying they did. More than likely some scheister real estate salesmen promised them the Morganza would never open again or that the Old river Control Structure will keep the Atchafalaya from capturing the Mississippi some day. Was out on the Riverwalk in N.O. today. River is high, but not threateningly so. The spillways are working just as they were intended to, up to this point at least.