Mayor: Major Breach Flooding and Destroying New Orleans

BayouBuzz.com ^ | 8/30/2005 | Steve Sabludowsky

[Prince Charles]

I have to step away from the computer for a while. Will check in later.

[DB]

When water starts going over an earthen levee, it takes the soil with it increasing the breach until it completely fails. If it is an earthen levee that failed it can't be easily plugged with barges or anything else. The breach will be deep. They'll have to wait until the flow pretty much comes to stop (equal levels on both sides) before they can rebuild the levee. Then after it is rebuilt, the water has to be pumped out.

At least that's what I think...

[AntiGuv]

If I'm not mistaken, that levee is a concrete levee, but I could be wrong.

[Recon Dad]

Most of the area is just reclaimed swamp. In Metarie, where I lived and in most areas there is no solid bed rock. You put pilings down to build anything. It's like a sponge and right now it's like a sponge oozing water. There is no where for the water to go.
What's going on is the doomsday scenario New Orleans has talked about.

[Recon Dad]

Most along the lake is an earth levee.

[Siouxz]

I believe I heard the same thing.

[DB]

Footing failure?

If so, it is still very unlikely they can plug it up until it stops flowing. In order for the water to be rising so quickly, there has to be a very large amount of water flowing in. That water flowing in probably took more levee with it.

[justa-hairyape]

Shep said NO doged a major bullet and basically seemed to say that NO was fine.

Shep drank too many Hurricanes yesterday (alcoholic drink that used to be served on Bourbon street). Actually my guess is Shep was used by a local government press handler. They tried to soften the blow of the eventual devastation of New Orleans by leaking a false 'New Orleans dodged a bullet' story. Just a hunch. The Hurricane track moved only slightly, the max winds only dropped a few mph and here was Shep celebrating because New Orleans dodged a bullet. I hope he at least got a few drinks from that 'press handler' that leaked the 'good news' story to him.

[foreign devil]

It could happen all over again next week...except that by then Lake Pontrachaine would be empty or nearly so so that factor wouldn't be as great. The point is...nothing is stopping M.N. (Mother Nature) from doing it all over again a few days later...depending on what's happening on the coast of Africa or wherever. So...as long as you live in that soupbowl or in Florida, you might see one every year...or four...then again you might not see another one for a hundred years.

If the worst happens and it's totally gone under...nothing you drain will really ever be any good. Mold will form while it tries to dry out in that damp climate. The best would be to let the marshland grow again which would rebuild the whole coast and the ecosystem. Start a new city on the Coast and use 'authentic New Orleans architecture' on certain buildings. Not cutesy poo like those twee southern pillared houses the wrong scale. I mean when you build a bank or church you incorporate authentic N.O. touches as an 'homage' to the original New Orleans. The cuisine just remains the same...this becomes part of the history of the New New Orleans and cease and desist with those cheesy high-rise all glass buildings with windows that blow out and curtains in the air. On the coast I'd keep the height of the buildings down to about four-five stories. I've been thinking about this, ever since this started and also since seeing the dome house. You probably have seen the dome house on CNN. That egg-like form seems to allow no corners for the wind to hook under so it flows right over. It would go with N.O. architecture but in a new house-building boom to replace homes for the homeless...it might be a design to consider as long as people are going to live on the coast. JMHO.

[AntiGuv]

I'm confused about whether it's the levee along Lake Pontchartrain or if it's the levee along the 17th Street Canal in Metairie. If it's the latter, then I think that's a concrete levee, but some reports (e.g. CNN) are saying it's along the Lake itself.

[DB]

Then total failure is likely by now.

[DB]

He pretty much said (Shep) that he was watching the radar and satellite images as they came in and made the determination himself...

Dumb...

[Recon Dad]

I like Shep Smith, but his reporting from the French Quarter was pretty lame. You get very little perspective sitting in the Royal Sonesta. Instead FOX should have grabbed locals to report for them.
You have to understand the canal system, pumps, levees, and lots of other things that don't occur in the Quarter.

[Loud Mime]

Shep's report had one of those aholes who kept bouncing around. Did you see what was printed on his shirt?

[DB]

I have to believe it's going to take a long time to drain it. Weeks... And you're right, after that everything will be thoroughly trashed.

[chief_bigfoot]

"RE-building a city below sea level, although I'm sure Congress will throw enough money around to do just that."

Will they actually be allowed to rebuild? It's a wetland after all. Or will they be granted a grandfather clause exemption? It will be interesting to see the bureaucRats battle it out on this one.

[Loud Mime]

Brawley, CA Population (year 2000): 22,052, Est. population in July 2002: 21,842 (-1.0% change) Males: 10,855 (49.2%), Females: 11,197 (50.8%) Elevation: -110 feet

[DB]

Death valley is below sea level.

Take a pretty big earthquake to breach it...

[justa-hairyape]

We have a lot of earthen levee's in the Central Valley of California. The levee system prevents the valley from flooding when we get our occasional El Nino rains. Your description of the earthen levee's appears correct. The problem now is are the main highways into New Orleans even use able ? How will they get the large construction equipment in ? If they cannot stop the water, the entire city will have to be evacuated, which it should have already been.

[Revelation 911]

although I'm sure Congress will throw enough money around to do just that.

and you and I will subsidize the folly

My heart and prayers to the people - my condemnation to those that would rationalize building below sea level, only to have it destroyed - and suggest its rebuilding