At what point do you suppose the flood gates will actually start doing more harm keeping the water in that good keeping the water out? Because of the levees and the flood gates, there won't be anywhere for the water to go. The pumps won't work when the electric and gas supply lines are cut . . .
Well, from what I've read, the pumps are the highest priority and have been upgraded in recent years. However, if the levees are overtopped and the bowl fills, the pumps will go down. Appears that might also happen if a breach fills the bowl. Looking at maps on the Army Corp of Engineers' website, they show the levee heights to be 11' on the west, rising to 17' at the northwest corner on the lake, then varying between 18' and 13' all along the north and east. Am guessing the variance is from subsidence? Similar numbers to the south, but because of the complex of levees protecting the south shore communities, perhaps that would blunt the wave action and some of the direct surge from a south approach? Just speculation on my part, and I have no idea how high the storm surge would be on the city's north shore from topside winds coming from the north as the eye passed to the east. Would think it would be lower than the predicted direct surge, which is pushed not only by the winds but also the storm's momentum, but the flip side is how much would the piling up of all that water in the small area of the lake exacerbate the wind driven surge? I have no idea, and haven't read any predictions on that, other than the simple conclusion that if the levee is 13', 14' of surge will overtop it.