Nagin: Entire City Will Soon Be Underwater

[Liberty30]

Well at least there is "good" news on the horizon. It is being reported that the flooding has stopped - water is not rising in other words - but on the backside of the guy from civil defense or wherever were these words - "there is another breach in the levy at such and such location". . .

No, the waters are still rising. If I understood correctly, it's just that the levels of the water in the LAKE have finally stopped rising.

[Mello1]

Well at least there is "good" news on the horizon. It is being reported that the flooding has stopped - water is not rising in other words - but on the backside of the guy from civil defense or wherever were these words - "there is another breach in the levy at such and such location". . .

No, the waters are still rising. If I understood correctly, it's just that the levels of the water in the LAKE have finally stopped rising.

Meaning that the drain off from the north into the lake is slowing down.

[gtalum]

The Corps of Engineers says the water in the city is now level with that of the lake.

12:11 P.M. - Army Corps: Water has become level with the Lake in the city so no more water should flow into the city, except at high tide.

The flooding should now level off.

[MKT2005]

If the water level is same as lake wouldn't that make most of the city to their roof top in water.

[gtalum]

The Army Corps has in fact stated that the level is now falling 1 inch per hour, as the level in the lake falls.

[MKT2005]

How high is the lake normally, given norrmal levels of the lake how much would the city be flooded once the water level in the lake stop falling.

[Liberty30]

The Army Corps has in fact stated that the level is now falling 1 inch per hour, as the level in the lake falls.

NO.

The water is not falling in the city.

It will not fall until the levee is fixed, then the pumps need fixed.

The famous bowl shape prohibits the flow out of the city.

I did not hear the report you did, but it is erroneous. You misheard the report.

[blueeyes_austin]

They just had a meterorologist on WWL describing the situation. Turns out the flooding from the 17th Street Canal breech was being sucked out through the breech in the industrial canal and out into the River/Gulf.

That's now stopped, and the remaining water is collecting down in a low area in the CBD, where the Superbowl is.

Sounds like Uptown and the Quarter may be saved after all. If the can keep Orleans eastbank in decent nick, that would be a HUGE step towards recovery.

[gtalum]

The water is not falling in the city.

It will not fall until the levee is fixed, then the pumps need fixed.

The famous bowl shape prohibits the flow out of the city.

I did not hear the report you did, but it is erroneous. You misheard the report.

From NOLA.com:

Canal breach update
Wednesday, 1:40 p.m.

By Jan Moller

BATON ROUGE - Water levels in Orleans Parish have crested and are beginning to slowly recede as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepares to begin an unprecedented effort to fix a 200-foot breach in the 17th Street Canal that has inundated the city, state and federal officials said Wednesday.

State Secrertary of Transportation and Development Johnny Bradberry said Lake Pontchatrain has receded by two feet since yesterday as water levels equalized between the lake and the flooded city interior.

"The good news here is that we've stabilized. Water is not rising in the city," Bradberry said.

Maj. Gen. Don Reily of the Corps of Engineers said flood levels are now receding at a rate of one inch per hour, but that it's likely to take at least 30 days before all the water is gone from New Orleans. "Lake level has equalized with interior water inside the city,. which means that it won't be any more flowing into the city except for a high tide," Reily said.

The bowl shape will of course require that most of the water be pumped out. But Much of New Orleans sites higher than the normal levels of Lake Pontchartrain.

[blueeyes_austin]

This report is interesting; I think there may actually be a reasonable amount of the city that will be repairable.

[gtalum]

Based on reports from this site, it seems the flooding may not have spread as far across the city as first feared. Of course, I can't vouch for its accuracy.

[MiamiensisWx]

Hopefully, the slow and gradual receeding and control of the water entering the city will continue so that parts of the city will be slightly easier to repair, although it will be an incredibly hard task that will require perserverance and care... for the city and for others as well. It will still be a huge task... hopefully, slowly but surely, they will be able to do it.

[soonertwister]

They just had a meterorologist on WWL describing the situation. Turns out the flooding from the 17th Street Canal breech was being sucked out through the breech in the industrial canal and out into the River/Gulf.

That's now stopped, and the remaining water is collecting down in a low area in the CBD, where the Superbowl is.

Sounds like Uptown and the Quarter may be saved after all. If the can keep Orleans eastbank in decent nick, that would be a HUGE step towards recovery.

I honestly think you are missing the big picture entirely here. Looters and lawbreakers have probably broken windows in most buildings in those areas, others have damage and broken windows from the hurricane. Doors likely have been broken open in many cases. These places will be empty for months, and little air will cycle through the buildings without powered ventilation. In two week's time the mold spore counts will be absolutely through the roof. Nature will rapidly start to reclaim the city as it's own. And that's in the places that haven't seen street flooding.

The places that have been flooded, even just a few inches into the buildings, will likely have to be stripped to the frames or torn down to rebuild. Many if not nearly all of the other structures will as well. The flooded steel-framed skyscrapers, many of which have huge numbers of broken windows, will have to be stripped to bare metal, and rusting will have to be stopped or cut out of the structural steel before the buildings are refurbished.

Every single home or business or other building in the city will have to be thoroughly inspected, one by one, before being reconnected to the city utilities. Many businesses if not most will not attempt to rebuild. Many, if not most of the residents won't return if they have no real prospects for employment, or if their families choose not to return, or they have nothing to return for other than the hoped-for revival of the city. For the forseeable near-term future, New Orleans will be a ghost town or close to it.

New Orleans can try to reclaim the atmosphere it had, but it can never be close to the same.