[RaceBannon]

Ok, a pump that size will, but Fire Trucks do NOT carry them, nor are we going to purchase 1000 pumps off the shelf, are we?

So, where will we get 1000 pumps that size that will drain a city the size of New Orleans?

New Orleans Facts and Statistics
Here are interesting facts about New Orleans. ... New Orleans covers 4190 square
miles and sits 90 miles north from the mouth of the Mississippi River. ...
www.neworleansonline.com/ neworleans/business/factstats.html

4190 sq miles = [(5280 x 12in)(5280 x 12in)= one square mile in inches]= 4,014,489,600 sq inches x 4190 mi = 16,820,711,424,000 sq inches

x 6 feet of water = (6 x 12 in) x (16,820,711,424,000) = 1,211,091,222,528,000 cu inches minimum of water to be drained

1 gal = 231 cu in x 1000 = 231,000 cu in of water a minute that can be drained using your numbers using your pumps

1,211,091,222,528,000 cu in of water existing / 231,000 cu in of water that can be drained using your pumps = 5,242,819,145.1 minutes to drain that volume

87,380,319.1 hours

1,456,338.7 days!!

Someone check this math, please!

Now, divide the amount of water height in half, that is 500,000 days!

Show me where the math is wrong here. Did I make a mistake?

[Puppage]

Show me where the math is wrong here. Did I make a mistake?

I'll take your word for it, Race. I HATE math. :-)

[raybbr]

My only question would be what area is covered by water? Is the entire city under water or only a percentage of it?

Pumping water is not always an exact science. The idea the fire trucks could pump it dry is pretty unbelievable.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Ok, a pump that size will, but Fire Trucks do NOT carry them, nor are we going to purchase 1000 pumps off the shelf, are we?"

Why are you so fixated on "fire trucks"?? And yes, you CAN "purchase 1000 pumps off the shelf". The Corps of Engineers operation I saw in action didn't have any trouble scrounging up 100 pumps of the appropriate size just in the local area. I doubt seriously that they would have trouble coming up with 10X that.

As to your "calculations", it depends on your definition of what "New Orleans" is---the entire metro area, just Orleans Parish, or what. Remember, despite all the news media, even the area of New Orleans that is inside the levees between the levee breaks is not ALL flooded--I have serious doubts about your "4190 sq. miles".

[Wonder Warthog]

Info on Orleans Parish:

"According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 907.0 km² (350.2 mi²). 467.6 km² (180.6 mi²) of it is land and 439.4 km² (169.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 48.45% water."

This is JUST A BIT smaller than "4197 square miles".

[Smokin' Joe]

Well, for starters, Wikpedia lists the city area as 907 square miles, which would drop your numbers by a factor of 10...